We Love, We Lose, We Start Again
by gotta B writin
Summary: *FORMERLY: THE UNTITLED BLAINE & SEBASTIAN PROJECT THAT WILL ROCK* Senior year for Blaine and Sebastian and the rest of the Warblers and New Directioners. Blaine deals with Kurt being away while Sebastian tries his darndest to not be such a douche. The two will come together and form an unlikely friendship that will take them through some tough times together. *COMPLETE*
1. The Last First Day of High School Part 1

**Author's Note: **This story takes place during "Season 4," even though it hasn't started yet. I'm kind of just typing and seeing where this takes me. Hope you like it!

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 1: Last First Day of High School Part I**

Blaine sighed as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. McKinley High School stood before him, almost mocking the lack of designer dressed company at his side. Kurt had been gone for two weeks, gallivanting around New York City, carefree and Blaine-free.

It had been a hard two weeks for Blaine. He missed his boyfriend dearly. Wasn't senior year supposed to be one of celebration? Of freedom? If so, then why did he feel so depressed and stuck? All he wanted was to blink and find himself on the east coast with his boyfriend. Instead, he was stuck in Ohio for another year while his boyfriend was living in a city full of talented, good-looking gay men to keep Kurt occupied. It wasn't that Blaine didn't trust Kurt. He had learned his lesson with the whole Chandler debacle that jealousy would only drive him crazy, and them apart; no, he just didn't like the idea of Kurt having a buffet of distractions surrounding him—he was going to a performing arts school for goodness sake!

He remembered the day that Kurt showed up at his front door screaming and waving a piece of paper around. Until that point, Kurt had planned on taking classes at the community college before applying to NYADA again the following Fall. While Blaine felt bad that his boyfriend's dreams didn't come true the moment he read his rejection letter with Finn and Rachel only a few months earlier, he was secretly relieved that he wouldn't be separated from Kurt. Was that selfish?

Blaine frowned as he walked from his math class to his locker to pick up his Spanish book. His thoughts kept him distracted from the pandemonium happening around him. Students had crowded around a fight in the hallway as some of the Hockey jocks displayed their male dominance over an unlucky freshman. Blaine walked past the mob, completely unaware of the scene. He also missed the concerned look and friendly wave directed at him from Tina.

"Blaine!"

The shout pulled him out of his brain just as his fellow New Directions member joined him.

"Hey Tina," Blaine replied.

"You ok? You just walked past the Neanderthals of McKinley picking on some kid."

Blaine looked over his shoulder and saw the crowd dissipating as Mr. Schue pulled two of the jocks and headed towards the main office.

"Oh, I hope he's ok," Blaine noted as he watched the boy following the Glee club leader and his attackers. Blaine looked back at Tina and offered her a smile. "I guess I'm just missing Kurt." Another sigh, "I didn't exactly picture my senior year to be spent missing someone who is hundreds of miles away while I'm stuck here in small-town Ohio."

Tina nodded her understanding. "Ah, well then, I can relate," she replied with a teasing smile.

Blaine scolded himself as he turned to his friend with an embarrassed expression.

"Tina! I'm so sorry. Here I am complaining about Kurt when you're spending your senior year without Mike." Blaine offered an apologetic smile, hoping he hadn't offended his friend too much. "You must think I'm incredible insensitive…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the ground.

"Calm down, Blaine," came the response with a light laugh. "I'm not offended. Actually, out of everyone left in Glee, I probably understand the most. It's easy to not see past your own situation. I know when Mike first left, I felt like my world was caving in." The last phrase was said with dramatic arm movements that only served to make Blaine laugh, their intended effect. "But hey, we're teenagers. I think we're wired to not see beyond our own problems. If we were constantly sensitive to everyone around us we'd be…" Tina paused as she looked around, exaggerating her actions and bringing another smile to Blaine's face, "well…we'd be grown-ups."

Blaine laughed when she whispered her last few words. He put on a very serious face as he frowned at her in disapproval. "Don't you dare utter those words in my presence ever again." He was encouraged as Tina let out her own laughter. "We don't use dirty words like that here at McKinley."

The two laughed as they continued walking comfortably down the hallway and into the Spanish classroom. Tina turned to Blaine after they sat down.

"How often have you and Kurt been talking?" she asked.

Blaine sighed as he stared down at his books. "That's the thing, we've barely talked these past two weeks. I mean, I get that he's just starting a new school, a new life. I know that it's probably a lot to take in and get used to, but is it really that hard to find 20 minutes at the end of your day to call your boyfriend?"

Tina looked at her friend and could see his frustration playing across his face. She didn't blame him for being distracted earlier. If Mike ever ignored her the way it sounded that Kurt was, there would be one very sorry Asian in Chicago.

"How little is 'barely'?"

Blaine turned to look at Tina, a scowl on his features as his eyes looked past her, almost as if he were reliving a memory.

"We talked the night he got into New York, once a couple days after that, and then we talked three nights ago. We've texted back and forth a few times in between, but that's pretty much it." He paused as he played with the pencil in his hand. "I never thought I was the needy-type before this, but am I? It's not like I need to talk to him every night, but is it so bad to want him to _want_ to talk to me every night?"

Tina offered a lopsided smile. "No, it's not so bad. Isn't that something we all want? Everyone wants to feel wanted or needed. It's basic human psychology." She reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand. He looked down at their entwined fingers and smiled back at the girl.

"Maybe you just need to be a little patient. The beginning of school is going to be the hardest for Kurt. He's getting used to his new classes and trying to get his schedule down. The best thing you could do right now is to just be patient and get your own schedule figured out. It's senior year!" She punctuated her statement by squeezing his hand and smiling, garnering a smile in return.

"Let's not let our boyfriends distract us from the fact that it's our last first day of high school! Besides, weren't you talking about joining the lacrosse team this year?" Blaine nodded his agreement. "Worry about getting on the team. Worry about Glee. Worry about passing your classes. But most importantly," Tina leaned in closer before continuing, "worry about how much money we're going to spend when we go to the mall after school and indulge in a little retail therapy."

Blaine laughed as he shook his head. Their teacher had begun class and was explaining their syllabus in Spanish, a true waste of his time seeing as no one in the class understood what he was saying.

Blaine didn't notice Tina pull out her cell phone and type out an angry text message to Kurt.

_::Call your boyfriend jerk!...P.S. HI! :)::_

Blaine smiled as he stared out the window. Sure, Kurt was far away and not exactly communicating on a daily basis, but Tina was right: school was just starting and he was getting his life sorted out. Pretty soon, they'd be talking and laughing as if this situation never happened! Maybe Blaine's senior year wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

**Author's Note: **I would just like to say thank you for reading this. I haven't written anything in a really long time, but after reading a bunch of Blaine/anyone who isn't Kurt stories for the past month or so, I figured I'd give it a shot. Please let me know what you think in a review. I don't have any of this pre-written, so it'd be fun to have suggestions from you (assuming SOMEONE is reading this) that I could add into the story. I'm aiming to keep the chapters on the shorter side so that I'll be more likely to update this fairly regularly. I'm planning to just crank them out and post them, then going over it to proof and fix typos and mistakes maybe the next day. My main goal is to just get chapters posted.

As you can tell by my admission of pairing preferences, I'm not the biggest Kurt Hummel fan, so obviously this is not a Klaine story (also evident from the description for the story). This will be a Blaine/Sebastian story. Originally in my head, it was a Blaine/OC story, but I just felt like more people would enjoy the story it was about two established characters. So we'll see how it goes.

**Next Chapter**: We get a peek at Sebastian's first day of senior year. Look forward to lots of made up things because I have no clue how to write Dalton-life or Warblers. Soooo…..it may be amusing.

Happy reviewing!


	2. The Last First Day of High School Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the long wait. Life kind of got away from me, but I am (...semi...) committed to finishing this sorry. I've been on vacation and have taken the time to work on this. I have a few chapters done, so you'll see some new chapters being posted more regularly. There was only one review for the first chapter, but a lot of views. Hopefully that means more people are enjoying this than just the one? So thank you 'I Skip-I Trip-I Fall' for the review! Appreciate it! **

**One more little note: the line break and italics are supposed to mean that you're reading the character's thoughts. Ok, onto the story...**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 2: The Last First Day of High School Part II**

Sebastian Smythe squinted his eyes for a moment before placing his sunglasses over his eyes.

Dalton Academy.

It was the first day of his senior year and he was already apprehensive. The summer had been one full of opportunities for reflection and personal growth. He would have loved to honestly make the claim that it had been a self-decided and perpetuated growth, but the truth was that he didn't have much else to do while visiting his mother in Paris.

When Sebastian's father moved him to the States, a move based more on political reasons and a need to keep up appearances than a genuine aching for closeness with his son, he promised his wife that Sebastian would be back to visit her in the following summer. Sebastian remembered his mother's tight-lipped smile when she was told that her son would return for a visit.

Sebastian wasn't an idiot. He may be many things: a liar, a cheat, a manipulator, a slut, selfish, conniving, self-involved, impulsive, the list goes on and on; but no one could ever claim that Sebastian Smythe was stupid. He knew his mother was not looking forward to his return, but what could she do? Make a scene? Yell? Berate her husband for inconveniencing her with the responsibility of her own child? No, she simply nodded her head and smiled at her son with a lack of happiness that taunted his heart. It was as if the emptiness of her gesture ridiculed him and jeered: "Ha! No one loves you! You're not so much a son as you are a burden!"

Sebastian had traveled the world with his family as his father was moved from office to office. They had never been what you would call a happy family. Sure, smiles were plastered for dinners, photographers, or parties, but the Arctic couldn't hold a candle to the coldness found within the walls of their homes.

Mr. Smythe was a cold, detached man that could never see beyond his own needs and wants. He was always polite and friendly with strangers, ambassadors, fellow country club members and anyone with enough money behind their name, but he might as well have been a stranger to his son. Sebastian would sometimes enviously watch their party guests because these people, these _guests_, were able to elicit smiles and laughter from the man that he so desperately wanted to please without even trying. What made them so important and worthwhile? Why couldn't he, the son, make his father react the same way?

No, instead, Mr. Smythe seemed to have two reactions to the existence of his son: complete indifference or outright hostility. It was a well-known fact among their circles that Sebastian was completely uncoordinated would trip or walk into something at least once a week. The poor boy was always sporting cuts and bruises, most hidden beneath his clothing. His misfortune was usually the topic of friendly teasing among his father's friends. Whenever these jokes came up, Sebastian would plaster a smile on his face and force a bashful expression across his features. What these people didn't know was the real reason behind these marks; the real reason behind his forced smiles or his rehearsed bashfulness. These were the byproducts of Mr. Smythe's bouts of rage over his son's inability to be "worthy of the Smythe name." Who would want such a pathetic excuse of a sissy boy as a son? Who wanted to be the parent of a "fag?" Luckily for Sebastian, his father's work had him traveling for a majority of the month. Sebastian had learned quickly how to deal with his father during the time he was home.

Mrs. Smythe, Elizabeth, was equally self-involved and emotionally unavailable. While living in Paris, Elizabeth had an affair with a Parisian designer that she had met at one of the many fashion shows she would attend. Mr. Smythe knew about her infidelity, though he was hardly in a place where he could condemn her without looking like a complete hypocrite. Her romance with Random French Douche, or RFD as Sebastian referred to him, was never an issue until the elder Smythe was relocated to Ohio back in the States. Elizabeth refused to leave RFD. Sebastian asked to stay with his mother so as not to leave his friends and life in Paris (it wasn't as though he could say "I'd rather be completely ignored than ignored some and beaten."). His request was denied, probably due to his mother refusing to care for him, and he was quickly shipped to an all-boys' school in the Midwest where he and his father had moved.

His first year at the school started off rough: he was surrounded by affluent nimrods that contained about as much class as the mice in Paris. Sure, they had money like his Parisian friends, but they lacked the sophistication and taste that clearly was hard to come by in a small Ohio town. He decided to join the campus a capella group, the Warblers, which led him to a turning point in his miserable Ohio-existence. His membership in the group allowed him to meet the only worthy person, at least in Sebastian's opinion, in the whole state.

Blaine Anderson was an enigma. He was seemingly average: good looking, but nowhere near Sebastian's own model-good-looks. He was a good singer, but nothing that demanded your immediate attention. His family was well-off, but no more than Sebastian's. He was kind, but not so much that he was in the middle of a South American village, feeding the poor.

So what was it? What was it about the boy that had Sebastian chasing him for the better part of their junior year? Sebastian still had no clue. He had spent a good amount of his time during the summer trying to figure out why Blaine had this pull on him. He spent a good amount of time during the summer thinking about how he treated Blaine, which morphed into how he treated the entire New Directions team. This then made him think about how he has treated people in general, especially Dave; the boy who tried to kill himself, but had thankfully failed.

All that thinking led him to one conclusion: he, Sebastian, was a douche.

He was a douche for trying to steal another boys' boyfriend, and he used the term "boy" loosely because God knows Lady Hummel couldn't be classified as one. He was a douche for blackmailing a New Directions member with a poorly photoshopped picture, but that really was more a bad reflection of their intelligence (or lack thereof) because of how obviously fake that photo was. He was a douche for making fun of Dave the way he did and being another voice in the boy's head, screaming for him to take his own life.

He was a douche.

He told the New Directioners last year that he had turned over a new leaf and was a better, nicer Sebastian. That was a lie. He _was_ nicer, or at least wanted to be, but that was just to make himself feel better because his rejection of a boy had driven him to suicide. Sure, Sebastian was hot, but a refusal didn't mean the guy should dress up in a suit and hang himself.

Sebastian's self reflection that summer showed him how pompous that thought really was. Clearly, Dave didn't try to kill himself because Sebastian didn't want to sleep with him. Fin wasn't so stupid to think that everyone would think the picture was real (well...that one could be a toss-up, but that was just plain honesty without any malice). And most importantly, no matter how many purses fell out of Lady Hummel's mouth when he giggled—yes giggled, not laughed—it is never ok to steal another man's boyfriend.

Sebastian was finally able to look himself in the mirror and see the truth: he was a douche.

So what was he to do with this revelation, this epiphany that had kept him company for the past few months?

His mind rehearsed his prepared speech all day during his classes. When the Warbler meeting began after school, Sebastian stood up, ready to address his fellow members as the new, more considerate leader that he wanted to be.

"Thank you gentlemen for being here to this meeting that I called. Before we start with our business, I wanted t-"

"What do you mean?" Nick shouted from his seat. "The Warblers always have their senior meeting after the first day of school. Why are thanking us for something we always do?" The other members glanced each other nervously. Interrupting Sebastian Smythe was never a good idea.

"Is this a special meeting or something?" Nick continued.

Sebastian saw red as his eyes zeroed in on the outspoken boy. When Sebastian turned to look at him, Nick realized his mistake and immediately tried to sink into his chair. Memories of his parents telling him to think before blurting things out crossed his mind as he desperately wished for the power to become invisible.

"Well, maybe if you kept your mouth shut and let me finish, you'd find out. How about we try that, huh?" The other boys at the meeting all averted his eyes as he spat the words. He mentally scolded himself:

_The whole point of this is to _not _be a douche. Way to start things on a positive note, Idiot...No, even that is mean. You can't even be nice to yourself. Fail...I'm doing it again...Ugh, stupid Nick..._

Sebastian closed his eyes and counted to three. He opened them and spoke.

"I'm...I'm...s-sorry Nick."

The words tasted bitter in his mouth. Every eye flew to him, all wide and unbelieving. He might as well have told them that he was getting a sex change and changing his name to Coco Fontana.

_Well, in their defense, this is pretty un-Sebastian of you...me...us?...Whatever...Does Jeff always look this stupid?...Who's that ginger kid? Does he even go to this school?..._

"Yes, I _can_ apologize, don't look so surprised. Look, I had a lot of time to think this summer and I came to the realization that I haven't been the best leader this past year. Hell, I haven't been a very good person for a long time now." He paused and surveyed his audience. "We're Warblers, which means we're the best this school has to offer. This group was founded a long time ago on the same principles that Dalton still holds dear today: honesty, integrity, hard work, and respect. You all elected me as your leader, and I took us in the opposite direction from where we should have been. Not only did we not win at Regionals, but I also led us into a situation where I seriously injured one of our own, a former featured soloist."

He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know this may be a case of too little, too late, but I do apologize. I apologize for treating you the way I have and I apologize for bringing dishonor to the name Warbler. If you'd like to ask me to step down this year, I'll completely understand. But if you'll give me the chance, I'd love to show you how much I've grown in the past few months and how much I want to redeem not only myself, but also the Warbler reputation. I can't promise much, but I _can _promise that I'll always try my hardest to make you all proud."

Sebastian didn't realize that he had made the entire end of his speech while facing the ground in front of him.

_Look up you idiot. Only poor people look this pathetic!...Crap, I mean...Agh…Just look up…_

Sebastian quickly turned to face the others in the room, trying to look as sincere as he felt without coming across as desperate.

_Speaking of desperate, look at John's new hairstyle...Seriously? You can't even be nice in your head..._

It was Jeff who broke the silence. "I don't know about anyone else, but I would like to make a motion to keep Sebastian Smythe as Head Warbler for this school year. Any man who can admit their mistakes is a man that I'd be happy to follow. And apology accepted." He smiled as he reached out his hand to Sebastian. The moment was cheesy and cliché, but it was also sincere.

One by one, the other members voiced their support for the motion, and for Sebastian. Is how it felt to be liked? Sebastian had always been popular, surrounded by people, but always for different reasons: fear, jealousy, admiration, a desire to use him. He had always enjoyed a healthy control over those around him, but never had he received acceptance by his peers. The feeling made him smile despite his desire to maintain appearances, a desire taught to him by his parents. Perhaps his father had it wrong all along? Maybe having the upper hand at all times wasn't more important than simply being nice to people? Maybe sometimes it was better to let your guard down and admit you're wrong?

Nick smiled as he clapped Sebastian on the back. "A new Sebastian, huh? Maybe now we can expect you to show up on time to rehearsals?" He laughed as he teased the taller Warbler.

"Tell you what, I'll start showing up on time when you start singing on key." The retort came out faster than Sebastian think. He choked on the next insult before it could escape.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he looked at Nick apologetically, "that just came out. My mouth kind of runs on auto-douche."

John laughed from his seat as his hands subconsciously moved to check his hair, "Don't apologize, he _is_ flat a lot!"

The rest of the Warblers started laughing and teasing each other as Sebastian leaned back in his seat and took it all in.

_Maybe this year won't be so bad after all..._

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hopefully you enjoyed that. I do apologize for the repetitiveness of the word "douche." Hopefully nobody finds that word offensive. As I was writing I kept thinking "Ahh...think of another word!...But I can't...Ahh!...'Douche!'"...Yeah. So I originally pictured this chapter to mimic the first and give a more narrative look at Sebastian's first day, but it sort of got away from me as I wrote and turned more into an introspective look at his life in general. After writing this, it makes me want to do the same for Blaine at some point in this story and introduce you to his back story (which I'll need to create at some point, I guess). **

**I'm trying to do my best at redeeming Sebastian without fast forwarding the process and making him a nice guy overnight. What are your thoughts on this? Was that apparent, or did it seem too much of a change too quickly? I'd love some feedback on that. I'm trying to keep these characters as realistic as possible and I've read so many stories where Sebastian suddenly becomes a kitten in the span of a single chapter. I don't like that. I appreciate the sarcasm and wit that his character has, so it's my goal to find a way to keep that without others becoming casualties of his personality.**

**I'm also trying to think of a title here. Let me know if you have suggestions! **

**I'd love your thoughts on the story thus far and where you'd like to see it go. I'm always open to suggestions and criticisms!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The boys finally interact!**


	3. A Coffeehouse Meeting

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks again for reading this. Hopefully you like this one. I played a lot with point of view, so this is going to switch back and forth a lot between the two boys. Again, italics denote a character's thoughts. I think that's about it. Enjoy!**

**Song: "You Belong To Me" by The 88 (it's KIND OF an AWESOME song)**

**P.S. Dude….you guys…did anyone else appreciate the AWESOME "book cover" that apparently I can post? I saw that I could post a picture aaand clearly, I have excellent taste. Yes?**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 3: A Coffeehouse Meeting**

Blaine stood in line at the Lima Bean. He tapped his shoe and silently hummed a Katy Perry song to himself as he waited. It had been a very uneventful three weeks for him since his first day of senior year. It was uneventful in the sense that his relationship with Kurt had been MIA and nonexistent for about 10 days now. He had briefly spoken to his boyfriend for five minutes before the New Yorker rushed off to another rehearsal for a class project. The phone call wouldn't have been completely wasted had Kurt not gushed about how amazing and exciting his life was in the big city the entire time. Blaine had tried to share about his time at McKinley before being unceremoniously cut off when Kurt yelled his goodbye.

This was seriously becoming a problem that Blaine didn't want to have. Sure, Kurt was adjusting to his new life, but this was bordering on being completely offensive—and that was coming from someone who was desperately trying to be a good boyfriend.

Blaine was so caught up in his annoyance that he didn't even notice the three people cutting him in line due to him not moving. It wasn't until the barista called his name and waved her hand that he realized he was the only person in line.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled as he stepped up to the counter and made his order.

"It's all right Blaine, it happens to the best of us," the barista smiled as she rang him up and started making his drink.

Since Blaine was a regular at the coffee house, becoming addicted to their coffee when Kurt introduced him to it before they started dating, he became quite friendly with the handful of workers that tended to work the after-school shifts.

His attention was pulled away from the conversation as his mind registered the last chord of a song being played by a guitar. Normally this wouldn't be anything special, but it had the distinct sound of a live guitar and not a radio station. His eyes scanned the room to no avail, but he knew that there were some more seats and tables on the other side of the wall.

"Is someone performing today?" he asked as he watched his drink being made.

He received a puzzled look in response for about five seconds before the girl laughed and shook her head. "Oh yeah! I forgot about him. I've just sort of tuned him out, I guess." She continued her laugh as she handed Blaine his coffee.

"Yeah, some guy is playing here a few times a week now in the afternoons. He started last week." She looked over at the giant clock hanging on the wall and scrunched her eyebrows together. "I think he should be done soon. I don't know. We get pretty busy around this time, so I usually don't even hear him. But he's pretty hot," the girl said as she winked. "I won't tell Kurt if you enjoy the view."

Blaine smiled his thanks as he rounded the corner. Her last comment bothered him.

_Yeah, we'll you'll have to actually get him on the phone to be able to tell him and even then, you'll have to wait for him to stop talking about New York long enough to get a word in..._

Blaine shook the negative thoughts out of his head. He was genuinely interested in who the mystery singer was. Blaine had always had a coffeehouse-performer fantasy in his head for himself. There was something incredibly exciting to Blaine about sitting in a quiet, small coffeehouse with his guitar all day, singing acoustic songs. It was almost as if he could imagine Bob Dylan next to him nodding his approval; maybe it was that, or nothing screamed "real artist" to his generation like a guitar and mic surrounded by coffee drinkers.

The daydream in his mind came to a crashing halt when he laid eyes on the tall brunette behind the guitar. The singer had singer had his head down, but Blaine would have recognized the gelled hair in the middle of a stadium.

_Sebastian?..._

oOo

Sebastian strummed the last chord of his song and opened his eyes. He didn't look too far past the first few people to see that no one had been paying attention to him. He started playing at the Lima Bean the previous week at the suggestion of his therapist. Sebastian was told that it would be a good exercise for him to open himself up to people and allow him to become more vulnerable. In reality, it was just another opportunity for him to be ignored by people he was trying to impress.

_Oh look, it's like a room full of my dad..._

He leaned forward and spoke into his microphone as his rechecked his tuning.

"Thank you for being _such_ a wonderful crowd today Lima Bean. You are all too much."

Silence.

"I just have one more song, then I'll be out of your hair. You're _almost_ rid of me."

Again, silence.

"That was a joke."

More silence.

"Just so you know, I plan on setting this place on fire when I'm done."

Conversations around him continued as though he were mute and invisible.

_I might as well be…_

He rolled his eyes and began moving his fingers a across the frets on his guitar.

"_I treat it like a high school dance_

_Waiting in the wings for my big chance_

_But I would only stare at my shoes_

_You belong to me, I belong to you._

_I could tell an antique lie_

_Full of all the things I wanna hide_

_But that would only lead to the truth_

_You belong to me, I belong to you._

_But I'm lazy and I pull you down_

_Where you don't wanna be_

_And I'm tasting what's pouring out of you_

_What am I supposed to do?_

_I could play a trick so strange_

_Cover up my ears and pray for rain_

_But that would only give you the blues_

_You belong to me, I belong to you._

_But I'm lazy and I pull you down_

_Where you don't wanna be_

_And I'm tasting what's pouring out of you_

_What am I supposed to do? _

_I treat it like a high school dance_

_Waiting in the wings for my big chance_

_But I would only stare at my shoes_

_You belong to me, I belong to you_

_You belong to me, I belong to you_

_You belong to me, I belong to you._

Sebastian strummed the last chord of his song and opened his eyes. He didn't look too far past the first few people to see that no one had been paying attention to him. He started getting off the stool so he could pack up his guitar when he heard clapping.

_Clapping?..._

His eyes snapped over to the source of the sound and his brain stopped functioning for a split second. The perfectly gelled hair, the perfectly tied bow tie, the tight polo shirt, the rolled up red jeans, the loafers with no socks.

_Blaine?..._

oOo

To say that Blaine was surprised to see Sebastian playing in a coffee house was an understatement. He didn't know the other boy very well, but what he did know caused him to find the visual very odd. Sebastian was the type to drink at a coffee house. Maybe he was they type to listen to a singer in a coffee house. Hell, he was probably even the type to _own _a coffee house. But perform at one? That seemed like an activity that Sebastian would find beneath him. One of the Warbler's favorite "go-to phrase's" was "That's for poor people." Not that Blaine found anything wrong with coffee house performing, but Blaine thought that Sebastian would.

_Well, apparently I don't know him as well as I thought I did. He's really good..._

Blaine couldn't help but become lost in the music. There was a sincerity in Sebastian's voice that he had never heard before. Just watching the performance introduced him to a new Sebastian. There the Warbler was, sitting on a stool with his eyes closed and exposing his soul to a room full of people who weren't even paying him any attention. The two may not have been on the best of terms, but it just seemed objectively wrong for this performance to go unnoticed. The last few notes hung in the air as Blaine watched Sebastian take in the underwhelmed crowd. His eyes didn't move past the first few tables before he began getting off the stool.

In that moment, Blaine's hands moved before his mind and body allowed him to quietly slip out, and began applauding. He saw the other boy's head look up and their eyes met. He was sure that the shocked expression on Sebastian's face mirrored his own.

_Son of a..._

oOo

Blaine Anderson was standing in front of him clapping. Well, he _had_ clapped. Now he was sort of just awkwardly standing there. He hadn't seen the shorter boy since the previous school year. They hadn't left on the best of terms, though they weren't as horrible as they could have been. Despite Sebastian's declaration of turning a new leaf, there was still the fact that he had physically attacked Blaine and caused him to need emergency eye surgery—accidentally! The apology wasn't exactly a card that Hallmark made. Things had been politely tense from then on.

Sebastian stood, rooted in his spot. He wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Was he supposed to go say "hi" to the other boy? Blaine had clapped for him, but he also now looked like he wanted to boot for the door with that "deer in the headlights" look on his face.

He smiled nervously at the boy, nodding his head in acknowledgement as he turned and packed his guitar in its case.

_If he's still there when you turn around, then it's probably a sign that you should talk to him. Ok, here goes...1...2...3..._

Blaine was still standing there.

_Son of a..._

He took a deep breath as he began walking towards the boy and forced a calm look onto his features. It wouldn't do well to let Blaine see how nervous he was. Masking one's emotions was one of the first things a Smythe was taught to do. He suspected that his nannies were instructed to teach him this before he ever learned to walk so that Baby Sebastian would know not to cry when he fell or hurt himself.

He smiled kindly; at least he hoped he did, when he stopped just a foot from the shorter boy.

"Hi Blaine..."

oOo

Blaine's brain went into freak out mode when Sebastian started walking towards him.

_Well, what did you expect him to do, Idiot? Ignore the only person that clapped?..._

He eyed the door to his left, as Sebastian got closer. Maybe he could make a run for it and avoid the meeting.

_Calm down Sydney Bristow, that seems a little dramatic...and crazy..._

Why was he so stressed? Was it romantic feelings? No. Sure, he had always been attracted to Sebastian, no one could honestly say they weren't, but any romance there was quickly squashed after the boy opened his mouth. They say that God never gives with both hands. Apparently when God blessed Sebastian with the looks of a GQ model, he made life fair by getting stingy in the personality department. Was it anger? He had to admit, he was still annoyed with the Warbler for the incident. He had forgiven Sebastian, but that didn't mean that he didn't want to punch the other boy in the face.

So what was it? Maybe it was just the plain awkwardness of not talking to him in months and then bumping into him at a coffee shop with so much unresolved tension? Whatever it was, he didn't have any more time to figure it out because the other boy was in front of him and saying "hi."

They exchanged the polite greetings that one would share with an old acquaintance. Thank God for their upper-class upbringing. It provided them with a few minutes worth of conversation without any apparent awkwardness.

And then the small talk ran out.

The two were left nervously smiling and looking around the room uncomfortably. Blaine tried to think of something to say that might fill the void, but everything either sounded stupid or more stupid.

"I didn't know you played guitar," Blaine blurted out as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

_Not a horrible try, Anderson. Could have been worse..._

"Yeah," the other boy replied, "I do."

The two were left standing there uncomfortably again.

oOo

_Stupid...You're so stupid..._

Sebastian mentally kicked himself as he physically winced at his own reply. Could he have possibly seemed any more disinterested in the conversation?

Sebastian didn't know why he was so nervous.

That was a lie. He knew _exactly _why he was so nervous: guilt. He felt bad about the incident and not properly apologizing for his involvement...OK, the fact that it was entirely his fault.

Sebastian Smythe was not used to feeling indebted to another person. He didn't like it. Being a better person really meant a lot of sacrifices. He never felt guilty before. Guilt, he decided, was not a good fit for him.

_That's for poor people..._

He watched in a panic as Blaine politely said goodbye and turned to leave. He had missed his chance to really apologize. Blaine was almost to the door.

"Sorry!"

The shorter boy stopped and turned around with a confused look on his face. He looked at Sebastian, as he stayed frozen in his spot. Sebastian let out an uncomfortable laugh as he tried to smile.

"I mean, I'm sorry." The words hung between the two as Sebastian mustered the mental energy to swallow the pride that was so desperately trying to break free. He took a few steps towards the other boy.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you, your eye, I mean. I never really apologized for that, I guess. Well, I mean I did apologize, but I didn't mean it. I mean, not that I wasn't sorry, because I was, but now I'm more sorry. I mean I'm still sorry..." Sebastian trailed off when he realized he was rambling.

He chanced a look at Blaine and saw that a smile was tugging on the boy's lips. Sebastian took that as a sign of encouragement.

"Let me try that again. I'm sorry for blinding you in the parking garage. I hope you know I didn't mean to hurt you. I meant to hit your boyfriend, which I realize is not really any better, but it's the truth. If I could go back and change things that night, I would. Actually, if I could go back and change a lot of things, I would."

Blaine now had a small smile on his face and that gave Sebastian even more confidence.

"I guess what I really want you to know is that I'm really trying to be a better person than I was last year. I know that really won't take too much effort, let's be honest, we both know how I was last year," Sebastian allowed himself an embarrassed chuckle.

_Who doesn't love a little self-depreciating humor during an apology?...You're too charming for your own good, Smythe!..._

"But I can't really move forward before going back and trying to fix the things that I've already done. Or if I can't fix them, then I can at least apologize. So again, I'm sorry. I don't really know if you'll forgive me or even believe me, but I at least had to try."

He stood there silently, indicating that he had finished his speech. He watched the other boy as a few different expressions seemingly crossed his face. In the end, a smile won out as Blaine let out his own embarrassed chuckle: "Thank you for that. I actually didn't know how much I needed to hear that until now."

Sebastian was both relieved and pained at the same time. Weren't apologies supposed to make people feel better?

"I guess I was still carrying around some anger about the whole incident, but I believe you when you say you're sorry. It's not every day that you get an honest apology from Sebastian Smythe," the other boy continued smiling.

"Thanks for believing me. I know I don't really make it easy for people to do that," Sebastian replied. "And I know you're not the only person I need to apologize to. Can you tell the New Directions that I'm sorry too? I'll do it in person...well, scratch that, I'll try to do it in person. There's only so much humility I can muster at once," Sebastian laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm still new at this."

Blaine laughed: "Fair enough. And I'll pass along the message."

Sebastian smiled. This was a good start. They spoke for another minute before Blaine said goodbye and left, this time without any awkwardness.

Sebastian let out a deep breath he didn't even know he was holding. He felt better. He felt a lot better. Perhaps apologies weren't such a bad thing after all? He thought back to his words, his promise to attempt to apologize to the New Directioners. He frowned at the mental imagine that crossed his mind.

_Yeah…that's never happening…_

Sebastian walked over to the Counter. He stood in line at the Lima Bean. He tapped his shoe and silently hummed a Katy Perry song to himself as he waited. It had been a very uneventful three weeks for him since his first day of senior year, but it looked as though things were about to change.

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So that's it. I hope you liked it. Like I said, I wanted to play around with perspective and give you a look into both their heads for this interaction. What did you think? Did you like it? Good, but over used? Hated it? Don't really care? Let me know. I also tried to incorporate a bit of a cyclical feel to this chapter, using and reusing sentences or images. I kind of want to try a few different formats for the chapters, to play around a bit and experiment. I definitely invite you to give me your feedback on your thoughts.**

**Again, let me know your thoughts on my characterization of Sebastian here. I feel like I took away too much of his mojo? Maybe I'll go back and edit so more in when I post this. Also, what were your thoughts on the song inclusion? I've read stuff with lyrics included and other stories where they're just mentioned the song by name. Do you like the lyrics or do you prefer me to omit them?**

**Obligatory: Help me come up with a title for this story! Please leave sarcastic suggestions at the door (i.e. This Story Sucks or Crappy Crap Crap). Actually, that'd be pretty funny. Five points to the person who can come up with the best worst title!**

**Thank you to all the people who took some time to review Chapter 2! They really made my day when I read them. I think I responded to all of you. Go ahead and call me of if I didn't! Please take a minute and review this chapter if you'd like. They are always appreciated! I think the existence of reviews on this site really allows writing to become an interactive process-which makes the reading more enjoyable. At least I think so. :)**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Kurt makes an appearance and the boys begin a friendship.**


	4. Textversations

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome back to another chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this one, so hopefully that comes across as you read it. Enjoy!**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 4: "Textversations"**

Blaine drummed his fingers on his desk. He was sitting in his room trying to work on his English assignment: a four-page book report a book of his choosing. Despite having been at McKinley for a year, he was still surprised by how unchallenging public school really was. Any book he wanted! Clearly, he had chosen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, his favorite in the series, a book that he had read at least 11 times since it was first published. While he personally considered the novel a classic in his heart, he doubted that reading the, metaphorically and appropriately, magically filled pages would be considered "high brow" at any of the universities to which he had applied. Nevertheless, he had already typed up five pages on the prose and writing style of a certain J.K. Rowling.

He was jotting down some additional points when his phone vibrated next to him.

_Tina: just checking to c if K txtd u bak_

Blaine frowned as he deciphered his message. Why was it so difficult for people to properly compose a text message? What was it about a small screen that destroyed people's ability to fully type out three-lettered words and punctuate correctly? He never considered himself a snob, but none of his Dalton friends sent these types of text messages.

_Blaine: No, unfortunately. :( I called him last night to Skype, but he didn't pick up._

_Tina: that sux! i dont get wut his deal is_

_Blaine: Join the club. I'm really starting to wonder what's going on. You don't think he met someone, do you?_

_Blaine: P.S. Guess who I bumped into at the Lima Bean today..._

_Tina: no K would never do that :( i give up_

_Tina: if it helps he hasnt talked 2 me either_

_Blaine: Sebastian Smythe! He was performing a set on his guitar. We talked for a little afterwards. He apologized for the "slushie incident" and wanted me to pass along his apologies to New Directions for his behavior last year. He said he's really trying to change._

_Tina: ::pix herself off the ground:: well i guess thats nice of him i dont really no how 2 respond 2 that_

_Tina: whatd u say_

_Blaine: I accepted his apology. He seemed sincere. It was actually pretty weird. I don't think I've ever seen Sebastian look so uncomfortable in his life. I'm not entirely sure it didn't cause him physical pain to say the words "I'm" and "sorry" back to back. ;)_

_Tina: well if u trust him then i guess i will 2_

Blaine smiled at his phone. He and Tina had really become close the last few weeks. She had been a partner in crime for his senior year and a sympathetic shoulder for his Kurt problems. She was always strangely silent about her relationship with Mike, but Blaine assumed it was because she didn't want to parade her successful long-distance relationship in front of him.

He was about to respond when his phone vibrated again. His paper now long forgotten, he picked up the phone, surprised to see the sender.

_Kurt: Hi there! Sorry I've been MIA lately, school has been killing me-in the best way possible of course! :)_

_Blaine: Hi! You _have_ been MIA, but I still love you! :)_

_Kurt: I love you too! I have so much to catch you up on!_

Blaine smiled as he read the texts. Kurt used to be a butcher of the English language, much like Tina once upon a time, but Blaine had quickly broken him of that horrible habit. Though he had come a long way, Kurt still insisted on using multiple exclamation points to convey his excitement. Blaine wanted to point out that the use of multiple exclamation marks was redundant, but he figured he needed to pick and choose his battles.

_Blaine: So guess who just texted me? I guess being patient is the trick to all of this!_

_Tina: o good cuz i was about to march over 2 nyc and kick sum but 4 u_

_Blaine: Really? You were going to march across multiple state lines and assault my boyfriend, risking jail time, to defend my honor? That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever texted me!_

_Tina: awwww! :D_

_Blaine: ...while using horrible spelling and grammar. ;)_

_Tina: o shuddup u no u luv my txting style_

Blaine shook his head as he laughed at their conversation, or "textversation" as Tina liked to refer to them.

_Kurt: So I'm working with my group right now on our scene. Two of the members are arguing so I thought I'd take a minute to text my boyfriend! :)_

_Blaine: Well, tell them I'm grateful for their explosive personalities. ;)_

_Kurt: LOL You don't know the half of it! They're fighting over some of the prop choices! PROP CHOICES! I stopped listening 5 minutes ago._

_Kurt: School is crazy, but I'm loving every second of it! I can't believe life existed before coming here! It's like everything is perfect right now!_

Blaine couldn't help but be hurt by that last text. Nothing existed before New York? Life was perfect? While he knew that Kurt didn't mean to be malicious with his words, it didn't negate the fact that his words still stung. His attempt to respond to Kurt's message was interrupted by Tina.

_Tina: ahh my mom is making me help clean up the kitchen_

_Tina: talk to you later tell K i say hi_

_Blaine: Tell your mom "hello" for me. Happy cleaning! Will do!_

Blaine switched conversation threads and continued typing his response. He chewed his lip as he reread his writing. He really wanted to tell Kurt how hurtful his message was, but he knew that this wasn't the appropriate time or way to have that discussion; instead, he chose to support his boyfriend while subtly hinting at the reality of their situation. Passive aggressive? Sure, but desperate times call for immature measures.

_Blaine: I'm really happy that you're enjoying NYADA so much, but I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous that it's getting all your time. ;)_

Blaine sighed.

_Kurt: Aww, no need to be jealous. You know there's only one guy for me. And he happens to be achingly far away from me at the moment! :(_

_Blaine: You're making me blush over here. :)_

_Kurt: Oh...this is awkward...I was talking about Ryan Gosling..._

_Blaine: Ha...ha...ha...I love you too, Jerk Face! :-P_

_Kurt: You know I do :)_

_Blaine: So I guess I get to update you on the happenings of Lima!_

_Kurt: Oh sorry! I have to go. We're starting up again! I'll call you soon. Love you!_

Blaine stared at his screen. He wanted to scream. So close! Those five minutes of back and forth texting was the most he spoke to his boyfriend in weeks. How was this fair? How was it fair that Kurt got to just pop his head in whenever it was convenient for him and then duck out when Blaine wanted to do a little talking? How was it fair that talking to Blaine was something that Kurt was able to squeeze in while two of his group members were fighting? There was also the little fact that a whole five minutes of the fighting had passed before Kurt had sent the first text. What was he doing? Sure, this was the longest conversation they've had in awhile but: a) that was quite pathetic, all on its own, considering it was a five minute text conversation and b) why couldn't it be a happy moment? Why couldn't he just enjoy the fact hat he had just finished speaking to his boyfriend? Why couldn't he just smile and be happy without Kurt ruining it?

He angrily threw his phone at his bed. Thankfully it hit the pillows and landed on the soft duvet. In hindsight, throwing his phone wasn't really a good idea, but he just wanted to be angry. Maybe a quick run was in order to let off some steam. As he got up from his desk chair, Blaine heard his phone vibrate again.

_Maybe it's Kurt again apologizing for being such a jerk..._

When he picked up the phone, though, he was surprised to see a text from an unknown number.

_Unknown: Hey there, am I interrupting?_

_Blaine: I'm sorry, but I don't have your number stored in my phone and I don't recognize the number. Who is this?_

_Unknown: I should have figured you'd erase my number. This is Sebastian. Sorry, I'll let you get back to what you were doing._

Blaine blinked. Sebastian? He groaned as he fell backwards onto his bed, his phone still in his hands. This was not a good time for a Sebastian conversation. The boy was only after one thing with Blaine, and talking with Sebastian while Blaine was this annoyed with Kurt could not end well. Blaine felt the need to end things quickly.

_Blaine: Oh, sorry! I actually got a new phone and only some of my contacts were transferred over for some reason. I guess yours was one of the ones that got lost._

_Unknown: Hey, don't feel bad. I probably would have deleted my number too. No big._

_Blaine: No! Honestly, the same thing happened with Nick. You can ask him at school tomorrow. Here, I'm saving your contact as soon as I send this._

Why did he feel the need to console Sebastian? Why was he still texting? And _why_ was he now saving Sebastian's number to the phone? This was the opposite of ending the conversation! That was the thing with Sebastian: he somehow had the ability to make you do things without you realizing it. It was scary, really.

_Sebastian: Calm down there Tiger, I believe you. You believed me earlier this afternoon. I guess it's only fair that I return the favor. ;)_

_Sebastian: Thank you again, by the way. I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but it does mean a lot that you accepted my apology. I've been saying those words to a lot of people, and it's just surprising how many of you are giving me another chance._

_Blaine: Of course! Like I said, I think I needed to forgive you as much as you needed me to forgive you. Everyone deserves a second chance. I'm glad that your friends are all being supportive. :)_

_Sebastian: So are you saying that we're friends?_

Blaine stared wearily at his phone. How should he respond? One part of him wanted to say yes, but he was scared that Sebastian might just be looking for a way to wiggle back into his life. He didn't need to be annoyed by one guy ignoring him for days at a time while another dry humped him every five minutes. On the other hand, he wouldn't mind being friends. Since most of the New Directioners graduated last year, a big group of his friends were no longer there. Sure the new kids were nice enough, but they were more the type of friends that you see at school. He couldn't imagine himself inviting them to go out on the weekends. There was also the fact that he'd like to be surrounded by people his own age. Was there really that much harm in seeing if he could trust Sebastian to _only _be his friend? He was startled out of his thoughts as his phone received another message. Apparently he had taken quite a bit of time to answer Sebastian's question.

_Sebastian: ...I guess there's my answer. Don't worry about it. Well, thanks for accepting my apology either way._

Blaine frantically typed out a reply to the text, before Sebastian tossed his phone aside.

_Blaine: Wait! Sorry, I just got lost in my head for a second. Yes, I'd like us to be friends. I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I would like to stress that I'm using the term "friends," nothing more._

_Sebastian: I can live with that. You don't have to worry about me hitting on you every few minutes. I know you're dating Hummel. Part of the whole "new Sebastian thing" is not being an intentional home wrecker. ;)_

_Blaine: Intentional? And thanks for actually using his name. I know that had to be hard for you. ;)_

_Sebastian: THANK YOU for realizing that. So many drag names came to mind; I literally felt faint from restraining my creativity like that. And yes, intentional. I can't help it if guys in relationships seek me out? It'd be rude to turn them down, don't you think?_

_Blaine: :-P ...Ok, I'll give you a pass this one time: go ahead and use any name you want to call him, since you're being nice...and since he's being such a jerk tonight!_

Why was he telling Sebastian that he and Kurt were having problems? That was like telling a thief "Hey, I have a lot of money in my house right now. I'm about to head to the store for a few hours. Would you like my safe combination?"

Blaine mentally cursed himself. Hopefully Sebastian would be too distracted by the free pass and was thinking of insulting names for Kurt to realize what the text had said.

_Sebastian: You know what? I'm not even going to use it!_

_Blaine: Well knock me over with a feather! This certainly _is_ a new Sebastian._

_Sebastian: It just wouldn't be fair to speak badly of her when she's not around to defend herself. She's a good girl that deserves as much!_

_Blaine: ...and he's back._

_Sebastian: ;)_

_Sebastian: So what's going on with you and Hummel? Anything you'd care to vent about?_

No luck.

Blaine bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. That was a loaded question. Yes, he wanted to scream about his frustrations, but was Sebastian really an appropriate person for the job? He was being friendly enough thus far and had even limited himself to the one jab at Kurt. Maybe he really was trying to change?

_Blaine: You don't want to hear about our issues._

_Sebastian: Well thank you for informing me of my wants, but last I checked, I offered to listen. Friends are there for each other during these times...at least that's what I've seen on TV._

_Blaine: According to TV, you either need to take me out to get drunk or invite me over for an ice cream and Sex in the City marathon._

_Sebastian: Well, there's always Scandals if you still have that fake ID I got you last year. I _do_ have ice cream, but no SATC DVDs. You'd have to supply them yourself, unfortunately. :)_

_Blaine: Really?_

_Sebastian: Why is that surprising? Do I really strike you as the type of gay that has the box set or something? I'm offended..._

_Blaine: No, I mean you'd really do that?_

_Sebastian: Sure, why not?_

_Blaine: Well, because it's 10:30 and we have school tomorrow._

_Sebastian: ...and apparently somewhere along the way I gave you the impression that my studies and school attendance were a top priority for me._

_Blaine: Well now I _really _feel special._

_Sebastian: Get over yourself Anderson. Truth is, yes, I'd spend a night listening to how horrible Hummel is (because clearly, that's something I would find fun), but the other truth is that some company would be nice. You'd save me from another night alone at the house._

That last text really surprised Blaine. Did Sebastian really just admit that he was lonely? Not that Blaine was interested in going over to the Warbler's house at the moment (Red flag! Red flag!), but it was still something he couldn't easily picture Sebastian saying. This new Sebastian was going to take some getting used to. That said, Blaine had to admit that he was enjoying himself. Who knew that the guy actually had a nice bone in his body or that he could be charming without making you feel the need to shower afterwards? Maybe God _did _give with both hands? Despite his level of enjoyment, Blaine knew that going over to Sebastian's house at this hour was a bad move.

_Blaine: Well I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll take a rain check if you don't mind? I think a run is just the thing I need to clear my mind._

_Sebastian: Oh, Blaine Anderson all sweaty and bothered? Where do I sign up for my ticket?_

Blaine smiled. There was the Sebastian that he remembered.

_Blaine: I thought we agreed on just being friends? Is this how you talk to _all _your friends?_

_Sebastian: Yes._

_Blaine: Actually, I believe that._

_Sebastian: ;)_

_Blaine: I hope you realize I just insinuated that you were a woman of loose morals._

_Sebastian: Hey now!_

_Blaine: :)_

_Sebastian: I'll have you know that I am a lady! I don't even know the definition of the phrase "loose morals." I don't even know how to spell it!_

_Blaine: Looks correct to me._

_Sebastian: Well of course I know how to spell it. I'm not stupid. What am I, a public school kid? Oh wait..._

_Blaine: Hey now!_

_Sebastian: :-P_

_Blaine: Way to kick a guy while he's down and on his back!_

_Sebastian: Would you rather me tell you what I usually do with guys on their backs?_

_Blaine: I guess I asked for that one. _

_Sebastian: You did._

_Blaine: Slut._

_Sebastian: But not for you. ;)_

_Blaine: NOOOOOOOOO!_

_Sebastian: ;)_

Blaine couldn't help but laugh. This was honestly just what he needed to take his mind off Kurt.

Kurt.

Just thinking that name brought some of the gloom back. No, he couldn't go back to that mindset. He was in too good a mood.

He quickly changed into a pair of shorts and slipped on his running shoes. He sent off a quick text before grabbing his iPod and heading out of his room. He quickly maneuvered his way to the unofficial "Kurt Hummel Is A Jerk" playlist better known as the _Breakaway_ album by Kelly Clarkson. He exited his house as the first notes of "Since You've Been Gone" played through his ear buds.

He didn't hear or see his phone vibrate on his bed with a final text from Sebastian,

_Blaine: Thanks for the chat. It's just what I needed to feel better. I'm heading out for that run now. I'll talk to you later. Bye!_

_Sebastian: Anytime. I'm going to hold you to that rain check. I hope things get better for you guys (I actually mean it, believe it or not). Don't cause any accidents, Killer! ;) _

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Holy balls, another one! Phew! I hope you liked it. Obviously, I wanted this part of the story to be told through text messages. What did you think? Was it too annoying? Originally, I was going to do it all through texts, but I felt like that was just too different from the rest of the story, so I threw in some paragraphs in there as well. I have to admit that I threw a lot of myself into Blaine's character in this chapter (HP love and his Grammar Nazi-ness). Despite my Kurt-haterness, I really am trying to portray him in a positive light, even though Blaine sees him as a jerk. I know it's a bit of a triangle now, but that's not the endgame. What do you think?**

**How'd you like the different styles of text message writing? I tried to give each of them a distinct voice…well I guess Blaine and Sebastian sounded the same. I really enjoyed writing their conversation at the end. It just came out all on its own. Did you like the exchange? I wanted to make it just two guys having some fun and teasing each other, but also keeping in mind the horn dog that Sebastian is and the accidental flirt that I picture Blaine to be.**

**Here's a question for you guys: what would you like to see happen in this? I'm totally open to suggestions for scenes or storylines. I have the general story already mapped out, but that doesn't mean little additions can't be added here and there per your requests.**

**Feel free to take a minute and drop me a review should you choose! It really makes my day when I see a new review for this story! There was only 1 for last chapter. Not that I'm begging for reviews, but it seems silly for my to continue this if no one is actually reading it. I always welcome the feedback and criticisms/encouragement! :)**

**NEXT CHAPTER: A Skype date, a step into Sebastian's head, and that rain check is cashed-in!**


	5. The Beginning of the End Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello all! Thanks again for coming back and reading. I hope you like the update. This chapter and the next were originally planned to be one, but when I sat down to write, the length kind of became a little longer than I wanted it to be. So I stopped about half way and then went back to add some more details and whatnot so that it wasn't horribly short. But enough talking, onto the reading!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not hating on gaming. Sebastian is.**

**P.S. Shout out to the Olympics! Anyone else's life being taken over by them? I've upped my work outs to 5 days a week after watching the men's gymnastics team and Phelps and Lochte in the pool. :)**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 5: The Beginning of the End Part I**

Blaine nervously checked his appearance in the mirror for the seventh time that night. He carefully smoothed his hair back and straightened his already-straight bow tie. He walked over and rearranged the take out Chinese food that was on his desk, for the fifth time. He glanced at his clock: five more minutes. He turned to his computer screen to see that Kurt had not yet logged on.

To say he was nervous and excited was an understatement. Four days ago, on Monday, Blaine had received an email from Kurt.

_Blaine!_

_I'm **so** sorry I've been a horribly distracted boyfriend lately! School has just been so crazy! I was wondering what your plans are for Friday? I decided that school can take a back seat and I thought that we could have a Skype date? Let me know if this works for you! I haven't seen your face in forever and I think I'm starting to forget how handsome my boyfriend is! :(_

_Miss you, love you!_

_Kurt_

Blaine's heart fluttered when he reread the email. He had read it so many times over the course of the week that that he was fairly certain he had it memorized, down to the number of exclamation points at the end of every sentence.

It had been a few weeks since his texting conversation with Kurt and the subsequent late-night run. They had shared a handful of short telephone calls and texting exchanges in between. Despite the fact that it was early October and this was their first conversation that would last longer than five minutes, Blaine still couldn't help but be excited. Tina and taken him to the mall earlier in the week after Glee rehearsal to buy a new outfit. He smiled as he glanced down at his new sweater and bow tie. He was certain Kurt would approve and compliment his choices.

He looked over to his clock again. It was time! Kurt would be logged on soon.

Sebastian leaned back against the booth. He was currently out with some of his fellow Warbler members having dinner. The conversation had turned to video games. While Sebastian didn't consider himself to be an effeminate gay, he _did_ consider himself more cultured than those who sat in front of TV screens and killed simulated characters.

_Why do they have to be so boring?..._

The road to growth was proving to be more difficult than he originally expected. Sure, Sebastian didn't expect himself to be farting bunnies and rainbows overnight, but it shouldn't be this hard to not be mean! He suspected that Fate was punishing him for all his crimes by providing him a group of idiots at this point in his life. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he noticed that a good number of eyes were on him. Usually, he loved these moments, but this time he had no idea what provoked their interest.

"Huh?"

"I asked you what your favorite game was," Nick explained.

"Oh, I don't have one."

"Why not?" asked Jeff.

_Because I have a life..._

"Because I have a life."

_Shit!..._

"I mean..." He paused and desperately tried to think of something to say that didn't make him look as rude as he was, "...I mean...I'm pretty busy outside of school...so I don't really have time to play any games," he lamely lied.

_That was so lame. Only an idiot would by that..._

"Oh, that makes sense. I guess it's not easy being a Smythe," Nick offered with a smile. Some of the boys nodded their heads in agreement.

_They really are that stupid...Wow…_

"Speaking of, I think I need to head out men. I'll see you guys at school on Monday."

Sebastian got up and threw some cash on the table to cover his portion of the bill.

It looked as though it'd be another stale weekend. Sebastian had hoped that he would be able to put up with his fellow Warblers longer than one night, but their lack of intelligence, or interest, proved to be too much for the struggling young heir. Why couldn't they be more interesting? No one in the cursed state of Ohio was interesting (redundant statement is redundant)!

That was a lie: Blaine was interesting. Since their shared text messages a couple weeks back, the two would regularly text one another. It was usually Sebastian who would initiate the conversations, but the shorter boy had prompted a few. They talked about their school lives, their glee clubs, and random topics that would arise. Blaine was slowly starting to trust Sebastian more, to the point were Blaine was beginning to share his relationship problems. He would tell Sebastian about how he was feeling ignored or how Kurt would usually end any communications after a few minutes because something would pop and need his immediate attention.

The old Sebastian would have used this information to drive a larger wedge between the two boys and to drive _his_ wedge into Blaine (see what I did there?). That is what the old Sebastian would have done. The new Sebastian? He was doing his best to be a genuine friend who wanted Blaine to be happy.

Who knew it'd be so hard to be sensitive to other people's feelings? While Sebastian found it annoying to have to repeatedly send a "Don't get so worked up" or "I'm sure there's a reason for that" text message to his friend, he continued because something about Blaine made the whole process bearable. What that "something" was, he didn't know. Delving deep into his feelings, let alone his feelings for Blaine, was not high on his "To-Do" list.

But still, the level of closeness he was experiencing with Blaine made a small part of him want to reciprocate. Surely Blaine would be a good listener for Sebastian to confide in. It was tough living the life of a Smythe, completely cut off from humanity on an emotional level. His parents had compensated for this level of detachment by attaching their genitalia to strangers around them: his mother to RFD and his father to any young intern that passed by his office. Trading emotional connections for sexual trysts was a lesson that he was unknowingly taught at a young age, and a lesson that he had embraced wholeheartedly. All that said, it was only a small part of Sebastian that wanted to reach out to Blaine. The chances of that actually happening were probably as good as one of his teammates proving themselves to be of adequate intelligence: not very high.

Sebastian heard his ringtone go off and pulled his phone out of his pocket. A text message displayed itself on the screen as he held it up.

_Nick: You're welcome by the way._

Well, that was a confusing message.

_Sebastian: What exactly am I thanking you for?_

_Nick: That whole "Oh, I'm just a busy guy" line you used. Lame! I expected more from the Great Sebastian Smythe._

This was certainly an unexpected turn of events. Who knew Nick wasn't as dumb as he looked?

_Sebastian: I guess I owe you one. ;)_

_Nick: Put the schlong back in your pants Smythe. You're not my type._

_Sebastian: I'm everyone's type. I thought you knew?_

_Nick: I prefer them shorter, usually longer hair with a higher voice. A certain feminine quality would be nice. _

_Sebastian: You want to date Kurt Hummel? ;)_

_Nick: Hahahaha. I'm totally forwarding this to Blaine. You're in trouble!_

Sebastian smirked as he tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and drove home. Perhaps Blaine wasn't the only semi-interesting person in Ohio.

oOo

Blaine sucked in his breath and smoothed his sweater when he saw Kurt's status change to "online." He turned his phone to silent so that their date wouldn't be interrupted. The phone almost slipped out of his hands due to the perspiration thinly coating his palm. He finally completed the task and reached for his computer mouse. It was with a shaky hand, shaky from excitement, that he moved the mouse to click on the "video call" button.

"Hey there stranger!" Kurt yelled as he smiled into his screen adorably. Blaine melted at the sight of his boyfriend. It had been months since he had last seen him. Was it possible that Kurt had become even more attractive since he moved?

"Hi! I almost forgot how good-looking my boyfriend is." Blaine punctuated his statement with a smile.

"Well, you keep up with those compliments and he'll definitely stay your boyfriend."

Blaine smiled at the teasing. That joke should have made him angry or hurt, considering his mental state since Kurt had left. It was amazing how insecure Blaine had been the last few weeks, but something about actually seeing Kurt made all those doubts disappear. He was even able to laugh at the joke without batting an eye.

"I'll make you a deal: you keep up with these Skype dates and I'll serve up a million compliments for you!"

"Deal!"

It was as if the last few months never happened. He wondered why he ever doubted what he had with Kurt? There was a level of comfort in the relationship. Something about Kurt had always made him feel like he was with his oldest friend. That was something that Kurt was good at: if he chose to, he could make you feel as though you could tell him your deepest secrets, and that everything would still be ok. That's what Blaine loved about his boyfriend. He loved how Kurt felt like 'home.' There was never any trying in their relationship. It just always came naturally, without any effort or force.

"So I have a million things to tell you about. You're never going to believe what happened yesterday after I got out of class! So I was coming out of the room when this really weird guy came out in just…"

Blaine smiled as he listened to the story. He loved seeing his boyfriend so happy and excited. These stories weren't so boring or annoying when he was able to see Kurt's face sharing the information.

His smile began to falter a little as Kurt seamlessly segued into the next story. This one seemed less interesting. Apparently his friend Kelly had forgotten that she left her bag in a room, and they had spent the whole day looking for it before she remembered where it was. Why did it take him five minutes to tell that? It seemed a bit excessive.

His smile was a complete effort now. Kurt was going on about how a professor always insisted on wearing orange socks to class. Apparently that was hilarious.

Another story. His cheeks were starting to hurt from his concentrated effort. One of Kurt's study group meetings turned into an impromptu performance of The Wizard of Oz in the middle of a small café that NYADA students liked to frequent. Kurt was Dorothy and Kelly was the Cowardly Lion. That wasn't a story. That was barely a sentence. Why was that funny?

Blaine listened and watched as Kurt recounted about a shopping trip he had taken on the Upper East Side. The smile had completely left Blaine's face as he shoved the chopsticks into his mouth and chewed. Somehow the takeout food didn't taste as good tonight as it normally did.

oOo

Tina squealed as she opened her front door and flew into her boyfriend's arms. It was a weekend that she had been looking forward to for the past month. It was difficult dating someone in another state, let alone someone in an out of state college when you were still in high school. Sure, people had warned her what tended to happen in relationships when this happened ("He'll probably end up sleeping with some slut. Especially since he's that hot! Sorry, turrets," as Sugar warned), but Tina had faith in her relationship with Mike, whose arms she was currently wrapped in.

"I've missed you so much!" she whispered into his shoulder as she smiled.

The transition to a long-distance relationship had been rough, but they had worked out what they could and agreed to be patient as things popped up. It was a little difficult at first, but life had been generous in providing them plenty of distractions to keep them busy between their visits. One of their rules was that they would never go a month without seeing the other. This meant that Mike would return home for at least one weekend every month. Tina had offered to go out to visit him, but he reasoned that it also gave him a chance to see his family as well.

Tina loved having Mike home, so much so that the two had decided to keep his weekend visits a secret for the time being. The main reason behind their cloak and dagger act was so they wouldn't have to share their time together with the rest of their friends. Sure, Mike was still really close with Sam, Artie, Blaine, and Brittany, but if he was only allowed two days a month with the girl he loved, he could wait until winter break to see them.

The other reason for the secrecy was that Tina didn't want to hurt Blaine's feelings by shoving her successful long-term relationship down his throat, though Mike didn't know that. She knew how hard things were for him with Kurt, and she didn't want to add to his already growing frustrations.

While it was a mutual decision to keep their weekends a secret, it was more at Tina's insistence. Mike didn't quite understand why it was so important to not tell their friends. Sure, the logic made sense: there was no use in splitting the little time that they had together, but it also seemed silly to lie to their friends about it. But at the end of the day, all Mike cared about was keeping Tina happy. So that's what he was doing.

"So where are your parents?" his innocent voice exiting from his devilish grin.

"Turns out my dad is at a medical conference this weekend and my mom is helping my aunt settle into her new house in Columbus," Tina said as she released him and took a few steps backwards as a sly smile crept onto her lips.

"Really now," Mike continued on their joke, "well isn't that a coincidence…" His voice trailed off as he slowly started walking towards her.

Tina began walking backwards, playfully keeping her distance from the advancing boy.

"Yeah, it's almost as if someone planned it that way."

She laughed lightly as the two quickened their speed. With one final squeal, she turned and ran up the stairs with the "Other Asian" hot on her heels.

It was very convenient for the two that her bedroom was the first door on the right.

oOo

Sebastian leaned back into his couch and continued flipping through the seemingly endless channels. How was it possible for so many channels to exist without anything of actually worth being aired? He continued hitting the "channel up" button.

_Sex and the City?...Let's see what the fuss is all about…_

Sebastian thought of his shorter, curly-haired friend as he watched the women go on and on about their sex lives. His brain began to hurt. He picked up his cell phone and typed a short text before dropping it on the couch cushion.

He quickly changed the channel to something else. How did people enjoy that travesty of a show?

oOo

Blaine grew more and more bored with each passing story. He was completely aware that a majority of his disconnect with these tales was due to their setting (i.e. New York and not Ohio, with him), but he hoped that even an objective person would stand up and leave the room out of principle. Stories were supposed to be interesting. Stories had a beginning, middle, and an end. Stories had a point. Somewhere on its trip to New York, the definition of the word "story" changed its meaning.

"…and that's pretty much how I decided to go with the teal pillow cases for my bed," Kurt finished with a happy sigh.

He looked expectantly at Blaine. Blaine plastered the smile back onto his lips.

"Wow, I'm really sorry I missed that shopping trip," he tried.

It seemed as though Kurt had finished talking. Perhaps it was Blaine's turn to steer the conversation.

"Actually speaking of shopping trips, Tina and I went to the mall the other day. I actually got this sweater and a new…"

Kurt cut him off mid-sentence: "OH MY GOSH! I almost forgot to tell you about what happened with Kelly's sweater yesterday! So we were in the café when _someone_ had the bright idea to beat me in the face over and over with a sledge hammer and…"

No, that last part hadn't actually been said, but it was what Blaine wanted to happen at that particular moment. One story! That's all he wanted to share. Was that so much to ask for as he had spent the past 45 minutes listening to how amazing New York was and how Kelly was the greatest person in the _whole entire world_? It seemed as though the conversation was a little lopsided, and by a little, it was as if a Chinese gymnast was sitting on one end of the seesaw when the entire cast of The Biggest Loser sat on the other…before they lost the weight.

Maybe it was time to share some of those frustrations that he had been feeling for some time. How was he supposed to do that? How do you tell your boyfriend "Hey, I'm not happy because you essentially ignore me. Could you maybe do something about that?"

oOo

Nick pulled his phone from his pocket when he felt it vibrate. It always was set to vibrate when he was out with his Warbler brothers. They were still at the restaurant, despite it being almost an hour since Sebastian's exit.

_Sebastian: Have you ever watched Sex and the City?_

_Nick: Of course! I watch it every night as a soak my feet and apply my facial mask._

_Sebastian: Oh, hello there witty response. I didn't know you were knew my friend Nick?_

_Nick: Well, I have been known to use a brain cell or two in my day, believe it or not._

Sebastian had been a tough person to get along with. His time as Lead Warbler the previous year had not been a golden year for the group, but his attempts to make up for his mistakes were admirable and encouraging. While Nick wasn't a fan of the old Sebastian Smythe, he was quickly warming up to the new and improved version that was with them this year. That said, it wasn't as though it was all puppies and giggles with Sebastian this year: a few of the rehearsals had ended in tears; Bill had almost quit; John was forced to change his hairstyle; Nick upped his therapist sessions to weekly visits instead of monthly ones. No, things were still tense, but it was a transitional period. More importantly, Nick knew that Sebastian was trying. Some days were worse than others, but it was a process that would take some time.

_Sebastian: Don't take this the wrong way, but you're more fun than I originally thought._

Nick snorted as he read the latest message.

_Nick: Usually I would, but something about your sparkling personality makes me take it as a compliment._

_Sebastian: It is. And I also wanted to thank you for inviting me out tonight._

_Nick: You're a Warbler and our captain. Of course we'd invite you._

Truth was, his invitation to Sebastian had been met with disagreement from some of the members. Bill called dibs on the opposite side of the table from where Sebastian sat, John went home to redo his hair so that he wouldn't receive any insults or orders to hang his barber, and Jeff silently reviewed his "Reasons I'm Not A Waste of Space" list that his therapist had him create and carry on his person, especially during Warbler rehearsals. It wasn't exactly the easy gesture that Nick made it out to be.

_Sebastian: Right, like I didn't notice half the table ignoring me the entire time._

_Sebastian: …or John's horrible attempt to make that hair appropriate for public viewing._

_Nick: You know, with statements like that, it's beyond me how you don't have all of them fawning at the mere sight of you._

_Sebastian: Touché. Sorry. Force of habit, I guess._

_Nick: Ha! Truth be told, John's hair is pretty ridiculous, though I'll deny it if you ever tell anyone that._

_Sebastian: I have it here in writing. Genius._

Nick laughed as he realized the trap he was in.

_Nick: Ninjas stole my phone and typed that message in hopes of sabotaging my friendship with John before returning it back to me?_

_Sebastian: Seems plausible. I'll believe it. ;)_

oOo

This was the moment. Blaine's heart began pumping a little faster. Kurt had stopped his story to take a bite from his food. It was a little rude to interrupt someone telling a story, but…well…when in Rome…

"Uhh, Kurt?" Blaine stammered as he mentally prepared the next sentence.

"Yes?" Kurt asked as he wiped his mouth and smiled at Blaine.

"There's something that I kind of wanted to talk to you about. You see, and I also want to preface this by saying…oh you've got to be kidding me!"

The sincere moment was interrupted by a banging in Kurt's room. Blaine watched as Kurt turned around, distracted by the sound of an apparent army trying to break down his door. Before Blaine could ask what was happening, he heard a muffled voice yelling.

"KURT HUMMEL! I WANT YOU! I NEED YOU! OH BABY! OH BABY! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

It was as though all of the hesitance and care for Kurt's feelings flew out the window at the screaming from the other side of the door. Surprise was replaced by confusion before it was then replaced by hurt. Blaine eventually settled on anger as he sat in his chair, waiting for Kurt to explain the outburst.

Instead of looking embarrassed or apologizing, Kurt simply laughed.

"Oh, that's just Kelly. Hold on."

Kelly? Since when did girls named Kelly have a deep baritone voice? Blaine watched as the door opened and revealed a tall, blonde, muscular non-girl in the hallway.

Kelly certainly wasn't what Blaine pictured her, or apparently _him_, to look like.

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Holy balls, that was longer than I intended. Like I said, this was only supposed to be the first half of Chapter 5, but it sort of got away from me. Needless to say, the rain check will take place next chapter.**

**I would like to thank my AWESOME reviewers from Chapter 4 (WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, RHatch89, TheOtherMaddy, anderpson, .Riso, and Aledda)! You guys win! I hope you all got the responses I PMed. The whole Tina/Mike scene came from you guys. There seemed to be a lot of Tina love going on in those reviews, so I thought I'd try to work her in a little more than I had originally planned. Hope you liked it. :)**

**I struggled a little with this chapter. I think it's mainly due to my dislike of Kurt (as you'll notice that I skipped a lot of their dialogue and treated the scene as a vehicle for Blaine's thoughts). It's a bit of a cop out. I don't know. What did you guys think? Does the story need that actual dialogue? I can tell you there will most definitely be a lot of (high volume) talking between Kurt and Blaine next chapter. How many people want it to be all out shouting? Or do we want it more of a subdued conversation? How strong would you like to see Blaine in it? How about Kurt's reaction? I know that I want to include a fight, but I'm not married to any specific scenario.**

**I'm also setting up Nick's character as Sebastian's friend at Dalton. Thoughts? I felt like he needed his own version of Tina over there to keep him in check. Are we still happy with his gradual transition to a not-total-douche? Also, sorry if anyone was unhappy with the fact that Nick is straight here. I've seen a lot of Nick/Jeff pairings on this site, but that's not canon, is it? Either way, I thought it was important for Sebastian to have a non-sexual relationship with a guy that he got along with. What did you think of their friendship? Any suggestions on how to make it better? I'm open in that department.**

**So I'm continuing my "Help Me Think of a Title" campaign. I was actually thinking the other day: what about "The Douche and the _" something to signify Blaine? Yes? No? I don't want some Nicholas Sparks sounding name or a song lyric. Not my style. So what do you think? Can anyone fill in the blank?**

**I love how these chapters are progressively getting longer. I'm aiming to keep these at around 3k each. Let's see how that goes. ;)**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The big argument and that rain check is cashed-in (finally)!**

**P.S. My response to "Guest" who reviewed Chapter 4 for me (sign in to review so I can send these to you): Thank for the review love! I didn't know that Tike was their ship name. I guess you learn something new every day! Question about the request for a Kurt POV: is that more so because you want to see his perspective on things or you just want to see what he's been doing in NYC? I ask because if it's the former, then ehhh…I really don't like writing his character, lol. If it's the latter, then you'll definitely get a peek into his life in a later chapter. Thanks for the review! Sign in next time! And "xxxx" back at ya lady/bro!**


	6. The Beginning of the End Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's part two. It's longer than expected, but I wanted to get it out for you all! The song included at the end is "Just Tonight" by The Pretty Reckless. Check it out on YouTube. It's good stuff. **

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 6: The Beginning of the End Part II**

Blaine watched as the tall, muscular Kelly walked into the room. He watched the boy smile and make himself comfortable on the bed as if it were an action that he performed every day. Kurt wore an amused expression on his face as he watched the blonde accommodate himself amongst the blankets and pillows. The scene in front of him struck Blaine for two reasons: 1) He wasn't exactly thrilled that a boy felt so comfortable in HIS boyfriend's bed and 2) Kurt didn't seem bothered by the fact that Blaine could see what was happening.

While Blaine always considered himself too level headed to be the "jealous type," something about seeing Kelly so comfortable on that bed made him see red. Kurt's nonchalant reaction to Kelly's actions spurred two more thoughts to pop into Blaine's mind: 1) Clearly, Kurt was not cheating on him, or else he'd be a lot more nervous than he was at the moment and 2) Kurt was being very inconsiderate of Blaine's feelings to let things progress in this manner without saying anything to his friend.

"So prepare your excitement Kurtis..."

_Kurtis?..._

"...because I come bearing good news!"

Kurt, apparently forgetting that Blaine was in the room, asked his friend what the good news was.

"Remember our unofficial performance that we were going to do today that was cancelled last week? Turns out it's back on. I guess some of the juniors changed their mind. We're starting in 15 minutes. So I'm going to need you to get your cute little designer-covered butt downstairs so we can go!"

Blaine watched Kelly hop off the bed and walk towards him, or at least towards Kurt's computer.

"So let's throw this...ew, this smells gross," he said as he picked up Kurt's Chinese takeout, "let's throw this away and turn your computer off."

Kelly stopped to stare at the screen. Blaine was now able to make out the other boy's face more clearly. It annoyed Blaine to admit that the boy was classically handsome.

_Why couldn't he be ugly?..._

"What are you watching? Is this one of those losers who puts vlogs on YouTube or something?"

"No, this is not some loser on YouTube. This is a Skype conversation," Blaine replied calmly. He watched the other boy drop the small box of fried rice, jump backwards, and let out a high-pitched yelp. Blaine would be lying if he said the reaction didn't bring him large amounts of satisfaction.

"Oh," Kelly replied as he steadied himself, "sorry about that. I thought you were...well, obviously I was wrong. Sorry about that." A small smirk formed on his lips as he leaned towards the computer and waved.

"I'm Kelly. It's nice to meet you."

Since Blaine couldn't go with the more honest and first response that popped in his head, he settled for the second and more appropriate response: "It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Blaine."

"Nice to meet you Blaine. How do you know Kurt?"

The question caught Blaine by surprise. How did he know Kurt? Did the boy seriously ask that question. Blaine focused his eyes on the image of Kurt behind Kelly. The picture was too pixelated to make out Kurt's expression, but hopefully Kurt would see the annoyance and hurt that was presently fixed on Blaine's face.

"I'm the boyfriend," he replied with a small hesitance to his voice. He watched as Kelly's face scrunched in confusion before turning to look at Kurt.

"Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

The question stopped Blaine's heart. He didn't know? Kurt hadn't told his apparent best friend in NYC that he was in a relationship? Suddenly it was as if every insecurity in Blaine's body was given super powers and he was victim to the evil's of his own mind.

Kurt rushed towards the screen, next to Kelly. "I've told you about Blaine a bunch of times!" He then turned his attention back to Blaine, trying to rectify the situation. "I've told him about you. I promise."

Those last two words.

I promise.

A few weeks ago, the would have instantly calmed Blaine's rapidly beating heart. Today? They did little to quell the hurt.

"Doubt it, but we'll pretend, so we don't hurt Ben's feelings," Kelly said with a wink directed at Blaine.

"Blaine," Kurt and Blaine both corrected at the same time, one amused and the other offended.

"Yeah, sorry," came the apology. "So you're the boyfriend, huh?"

Blaine could almost feel Kelly's eyes appraising him through the screen. He suddenly began questioning his decision to buy the new bow tie and sweater. Surely, there had been better choices at the store?

"Hmm," the blonde muttered as he came to his verdict. "You're not what I'd picture Kurt to go for," he continued in an all-too-innocent tone that didn't sit well with Blaine.

"Well then it's a good thing he didn't ask for your input when _he_ asked _me_ out," Blaine bit back.

"Blaine!" Kurt yelled out, clearly upset that Blaine had been rude to his friend.

Blaine watched with narrow eyes as a small smirk vanished from Kelly's lips before the boy turned towards Kurt. "He's got balls! I like him!"

He patted Kurt on the shoulder as he continued talking. "But we have to wrap it up because we have to be in the park in 10 minutes," he exclaimed as he consulted his watch.

Blaine watched with annoyed eyes as he witnessed this stranger try to end his date with Kurt, the date that he had waited almost three months to have! Who did this jerk think he was? Clearly, Kurt wasn't about to...

"I'll meet you in the lobby in three minutes," Kurt replied was downcast eyes.

There was a stillness in the room as the two remained silent and motionless. Blaine watched the door close and Kelly waved goodbye and left. Kurt kept his eyes trained on the floor, his lips moving, attempting to form silent words. It was Blaine who broke the silence.

With laughter.

He laughed. At first it was a silent chuckle, but it soon grew to a deep laughter that shook his entire body. Kurt was confused at first, but soon joined in on the laughter. The porcelain skinned boy didn't quite know why he was laughing, but Blaine's laughter was infectious.

"Why are we laughing, Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"Because I'm stupid," came the response. "I don't know why this is so surprising to me."

Kurt looked at Blaine in confusion: "What do you mean?"

Blaine looked directly at the boy on his screen, all joy and happiness gone from his eyes as he calmed his laughter. He looked straight into Kurt's eyes.

"I thought that tonight was special. I thought that it was supposed to be our night to just be us: to be Blaine and Kurt."

"It wa-"

"No, Kurt. It wasn't." He paused as he continued staring. All indications of laughter were now absent from Blaine's features, ghosts of a forgotten moment. "I looked forward to this for days. I decorated the little square in my calendar for today. I went to the mall with Tina and bought new clothes for today!" he yelled as he harshly pulled at his sweater and bow tie.

"I'm sorry. I lik-"

"NO!" Blaine shouted. "No! It's _my_ turn to talk! It's _my_ turn to say something! Did you even realize that our entire 'conversation' was you talking about NYADA and _Kelly,_" he spit out the name as if it were a piece of rotten food.

"Do you even know how I'm doing Kurt? Do you even know anything about my life right now?"

Kurt stared at the computer screen in silence. There was no reply.

"I don't...You didn't...You can't...I..." Blaine tried started several different sentences, failing miserably. The anger, the hurt, the feelings of rejection were so overwhelming that his brain was incapable of forming simple sentences.

"But you know what," the grimace overtaking his face, "you're late for your performance. I wouldn't want to keep you from your friends."

And with that, Blaine ended the video call. He did his best to control his body, unwilling to let his emotions overpower his tear ducts or lungs. He needed a friend right now. He needed his best friend.

oOo

Mike sighed in satisfaction as he buried himself further into Tina's sheets. Laying in that bed was a close to Heaven as Mike thought he'd ever be. How was it that girls always had the most comfortable beds? Not that he'd toured numerous male beds in _that_ sense, but he had sat or leaned on the beds of his friends. He assumed that at some point in time, the universe had decided that girls would forever have comfortable beds. He wondered if Kurt or Blaine had comfortable beds. Was that homophobic?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his phone vibrate on the nightstand next to him. He reached over and picked up the device.

Blaine.

Why was Blaine calling him?

"Hi Blaine!" he greeted with a smile. "This is a little out of the blue. What's up?"

"Mike?" he heard Blaine ask on the other end. "Why are you answering Tina's phone? Are you in town?"

Mike closed his eyes and winced. He pulled the phone back and looked at it closer. Yes, it was a simple black iPhone, but the case was slightly different than the one he had on his. He looked to his right and saw his phone sitting on top of his pants that were on the floor.

_Well, I guess everyone would find out about my visits sooner or later..._

"Yeah, I got in this afternoon. Sorry about not telling you, Blaine," he looked up when he saw Tina return with downstairs. "Besides," he joked, hoping to lighten the mood, "what kind of horrible boyfriend would I be if I ignored my girlfriend by not coming home to visit h...AHHH!"

Mike yelled out, fighting his defensive reflexes to punch Tina as she dove for his face. She grabbed the phone out of his hand.

"Blaine!" she yelled as if her volume could somehow turn back time. Mike stared at her with a puzzled look while mouthing words: What the hell?

"I'm sorry, Blaine. Please disregard what my _insensitive_ boyfriend just said."

Now Mike was really confused. What had he said? He watched as Tina shook her head while looking guilty and miserable.

"What? What happened?"

More silence and nodding.

"No, of course you're not interrupting anything!"

Well that was a lie. Blaine was _definitely _interrupting. Apparently Tina had a very different idea of what had just happened and what was about to happen again: twice.

"Are you sure? I can come over right-" she stopped talking before she finished her sentence.

Go over? She was going to leave? He was naked under the sheets and she was just about to leave? Something had to really be wrong with Blaine for Tina to say that.

"Ok," she said sounding defeated, "but promise to call if you need anything. I mean it!"

The two wrapped up their conversation and Tina pressed the "End" button on her screen. Mike had a million questions swirling through his mind. He didn't know which one to pick, so he settled on just staring at his girlfriend until she explained what had just happened.

"Soooo...Blaine says 'Hi?'"

oOo

Sebastian picked up his phone and played with a few of the different apps and games he had. How was it possible that the Great Sebastian Smythe was sitting on his couch on a Friday night at...10pm?

He picked up his phone and went through his text messages. Maybe someone would want to hang out. He scrolled up and down, skipping at the sexts that littered his inbox. He sneered as he deleted them all. Sebastian Smythe was not one to indulge in sloppy seconds, not even his own. He stopped at his conversation thread with Blaine. The shorter boy was probably in the middle of his Skype date with Lady Hummel at the moment. Maybe if he was lucky, they had finished. Or with any luck, Hummel's case of gay face became so severe that she had to be rushed to the hospital.

_Too bad Chaz Bono will probably outlive us all. Oh well, doesn't hurt to try..._

_Sebastian: What's your favorite video game?_

Sebastian didn't have to wait more than 30 seconds before the response popped up on his screen.

_Blaine: That's a bit random. I don't have one._

_Sebastian: Yes! See, that is a perfectly legitimate answer and I accept it!_

_Blaine: Something tells me there's a story behind this._

_Sebastian: Apparently my fellow Warblers find it odd that I don't have one. _

_Blaine: Did you tell them you had a life?_

Sebastian laughed as he read the text. He was half way through with typing out "That's exactly what I said," before stopping. While it was the exact response that he had, it wasn't something that Blaine would say. He was much too polite to ever put someone else down that way. Sebastian wasn't, but Blaine was.

_Sebastian: What's going on there, Slugger? You OK?_

_Blaine: How'd you know?_

_Sebastian: You're not usually the one pulling one liners on people, however appropriate and accurate they may be._

_Sebastian: Did Hummel do something?_

_Blaine: Doesn't he always?_

_Sebastian: Which begs the question: Why are you still with her?...Not that I'm unsupportive of your relationship or anything... ;)_

_Blaine: It's complicated. _

_Sebastian: If you say so._

_Blaine: And don't think I didn't notice you calling him "her" again._

_Sebastian: I figured your annoyance with her would give me a free pass tonight._

_Blaine: You figured right._

_Sebastian: :)_

Sebastian chewed the inside of his lip as he looked down at the small screen. Blaine's annoyance with Kurt had progressively been getting worse as the weeks passed. It had been a struggle for Sebastian to be supportive of his friend.

_His friend._

Sebastian didn't know exactly what his current feelings were for Blaine, but he knew enough to know that it didn't really make a difference what they were as long as Hummel was in the picture. When they first met, all he wanted to do was bend Blaine over a table and slam himself into the shorter boy. He wanted that even though he knew that Blaine had a boyfriend. He didn't care.

But now?

Now, he knew the other boy. He knew that Blaine liked Disney movies and had an unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter. He knew that they boy had a sharp wit that rivaled Sebastian's. He knew that the two were evenly matched in so many ways. That had changed his idea of Blaine. He wasn't just a hot piece of ass that filled out a pair of trousers very nicely, he was a real person that held Sebastian's respect. And believe it or not, Sebastian liked the fact that Blaine was a good guy; a guy that wouldn't ever cheat on his boyfriend.

_Blaine: I don't know Sebastian. I know I'm being an idiot. I just don't want to think about him right now._

_Sebastian: You are, an idiot that is, but it's your call._

_Sebastian: Fair enough. We don't have to talk about She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named._

_Blaine: Did you just reference Harry Potter for me while simultaneously insulting my boyfriend?_

_Sebastian: I'm a man of many talents. ;)_

_Blaine: Be careful Seb. I might start to think you care. _

_Sebastian: You just called me Seb._

_Blaine: Yeah, I thought I'd try something, plus you're name is just so long to type out. What do you think?_

_Sebastian: Fine. But if we're doing nicknames, I want to call you Princess Sparkle Pants._

_Blaine: Sebastian it is, then._

_Sebastian: ;)_

_Sebastian: So I seem to recall that we have a rain check that is still outstanding._

_Blaine: An outstanding, outstanding rain check? ;)_

_Blaine: I don't want to pull you away from whatever it is that you're doing._

_Blaine: Whoops, I spelled "whomever" wrong. ;)_

_Sebastian: And the crowd goes wild for the joke..._

_Blaine: :)_

_Sebastian: ...'s miserable fail. Really now, Anderson. That was just crude._

_Blaine: Your mom's crude._

_Sebastian: What's next? A "that's what she said" joke? You definitely need a night out._

_Blaine: You don't mind?_

_Sebastian: Of course not. You bring the SATC DVDs and I'll supply the popcorn and ice cream. We'll eat till you've bloated so much that your body has no more room for your emotions. Dairy will do that to you._

_Blaine: I was thinking more along of the lines of getting me so drunk that I can't stand on my own._

Sebastian was taken aback by Blaine's words. Things must have really gone badly with Kurt. Blaine hadn't really been himself the entire conversation. Maybe getting Blaine drunk in his current state wasn't the best idea.

_Hmm...a drunk and bitter Blaine looking for a way to most likely screw Kurt over. This can only end badly. A friend would probably tell him that this is a bad idea..._

_Sebastian: I'll pick you up in 20. :)_

oOo

Blaine and Sebastian walked into Scandals after showing the bouncer their fake IDs. Blaine had thankfully kept his from his first visit to Lima's only gay bar; although he probably could have shown the muscled man a gift card to Subway and gotten in. Scandals never struck him as the type of establishment that cared about keeping minors out. They headed over to the bar.

"So what's your poison tonight, Princess Sparkle Pants?" Sebastian asked with a smirk.

"I thought we agreed that we weren't doing nicknames?" Blaine responded with his own question.

"Simply teasing a friend a little. Lighten up. That's the whole point of tonight," he yelled as the music began getting louder.

"I don't know. A beer?" he shouted with a shrug. "I'm not a big drinker, so I don't really know the protocol."

"Well, first things first. If you're on a mission to get trashed, you don't want to start with beer. Shots are the way to go," Sebastian yelled as he ordered their first round of drinks.

"Why is that?" Blaine asked as he started nodding his head to the beat of the music.

"Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you're in the clear," Sebastian said into Blaine's ear before taking the two shot glasses off the bar and handing one to him.

"I like that. Did you just come up with that?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Honestly, what type of horrible teenager did the Anderson family raise?

"I'm embarrassed for you," Sebastian said as he clinked his glass to Blaine's and swallowed it in one gulp. He watched as Blaine struggled with the liquid. There was something endearing about his incompetence.

The night continued as the two high schoolers danced and drank. Sebastian stopped keeping count after their tenth, eleventh drink? He wasn't sure anymore. Whoever said you didn't need to drink to have fun had clearly never gone drinking with Blaine before. The boy was a hilarious drunk, saying and doing the most random things: He had fallen behind the bar after trying to reach for another bottle; He had gotten on a table and started dancing for a group of 40-somethings; He jumped on the back of a 250 pound man and started yee-hawing like a cowboy; He ran up to a man in a red and white striped shirt, turned to look at Sebastian, and yelled, "I found Waldo!"

Blaine Anderson was drunk.

He fell over when trying to propose another toast with a bottle that neither boy had ordered.

Correction: He was wasted.

Sebastian carefully pulled the bottle out of the shorter boy's hand and put his arm around Blaine's shoulders to steady him.

"As ridiculous as you are Anderpson, I think it's time you got we home."

_Wait...that didn't sound right..._

Blaine tried to respond in what Sebastian assumed was an attempt at English, but all that came out was a long group of consonant sounds. Sebastian felt for the keys in his pocket as he lead Blaine out of the club. They stumbled and had to rely on the walls to successfully maneuver themselves. After falling twice, and dropping Blaine two more times, Sebastian decided it was probably a good idea to call a cab.

As they waited for the cab, Sebastian did his best to sit still and will his mind back into a sober state. Blaine took the opportunity to lie on the ground and shout out random phrases.

The cab pulled up 30 minutes later, about 25 minutes too late in Sebastian's opinion.

_Why does he keep telling me to turn to page 394?..._

On the bright side, Blaine had successfully began speaking English once again. They sat in the back seat, Sebastian awake and Blaine snoring and drooling on Sebastian's shoulder. He looked down at the drooling boy and tried to pull his shoulder away to clean the offensive liquid off his jacket. This wasn't exactly the bodily fluid that Sebastian liked having on his body.

The carb pulled up to the Smythe residence about 20 minutes later. Sebastian paid the driver and pulled Blaine out of the cab.

Blaine slowly woke up as the two made their way down the driveway. It seemed as though the fresh air in the parking lot and the short nap in the cab had done a great deal in bringing Blaine back to reality. He was leaning less on Sebastian and actually walked through the doorway on his own.

Sebastian lead him to the kitchen, grabbed two water bottles, and then took them upstairs to his bedroom. He set the water on his desk and turned around to see Blaine leaning against the wall and looking around the room. He suddenly became self-conscious. He looked around his own room, evaluating its appearance and trying to figure out what Blaine might think.

There were no family photographs on the walls. No little league trophies lined any shelves. Teddy bears or other stuffed animals were absent. The room was large, but simple, filled with only a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a giant wall mounted television.

Sebastian turned his attention back to Blaine, who had closed the bedroom door and began walking towards him. He watched as Blaine clumsily started untying his bow tie in what Sebastian assumed was supposed to be a seducing manner.

"Blaine, what are you doing?" he asked as he was frozen in his spot.

"Isn't it obvious?" Blaine asked, obviously trying to sound more sober than he actually was. "I'm giving you what you've been after since the day I met you."

The bow tie dropped to the floor.

oOo

Sebastian played the last chord of the song. He was sitting in the middle of the Lima Bean, finishing his set. His head throbbed slightly, courtesy of the previous night's activities. It had been a long, tough night. His mind had warned him that it was a bad idea, but in true Sebastian fashion, he embraced the bad decision whole heartedly.

He plucked a few of the strings and surveyed the crowd in the shop. As per usual, no one was paying attention to him. This was a blessing, because his mind was almost entirely still living in the events that had taken place in his bedroom the previous night, and his performance was showing it.

He closed as he started playing his last song, the scene in his bedroom playing in his mind.

_Here we are and I can't think from all the pills, hey  
__Start the car and take me home  
__Here we are and you're too drunk to hear a word I say  
__Start the car and take me home_

_Just tonight I will stay  
__And we'll throw it all away  
__When the light hits your eyes  
__It's telling me I'm right  
__And if I, I am through  
__It's all because of you  
__Just tonight..._

_Sebastian watched as the bow tie fell to the floor in an invitation. This is what he wanted. This is what he had pursued for so long the previous year. He watched, frozen and shocked, as Blaine unbuttoned his shirt slowly, never breaking eye contact with him. Sebastian was mesmerized by the sight. He watched as Blaine's shirt also fell to the ground, exposing Blaine's slightly hairy chest._

_Sebastian could feel his heart beating rapidly as he watched Blaine's finger reach across the empty space between the two and begin pulling, almost unsure, at his shirt. Sebastian could feel Blaine's fingers lightly graze his stomach. It was as if the entire world disappeared around them and it was just Blaine and him. He lifted his arms into the air, allowing Blaine to pull the shirt up. The two stood in the room half naked, exposed to one another. _

_Sebastian was still to shocked, and probably too drunk, to react. His lack of actions were unnecessary, Blaine was in full control of the moment. He pushed Sebastian backwards onto the bed. Sebastian stared up at the raven haired boy, unable to use his voice and instead asking the question with his eyes. He was met with a blank stare._

_Here I am and I can't seem to think straight  
__I'm too numb to feel right now  
__Here I am watching the clock that's ticking away my time  
__I'm too numb to feel right now_

_But just tonight I will stay  
__And we'll throw it all away  
__When the light hits your eyes  
__It's telling me I'm right  
__And if I, I am through  
__It's all because of you  
__Just tonight  
__Just tonight_

_Do you understand who I am?  
__Do you want to know?  
__Can you really see through me now?  
__I am about to go..._

_The lack of a presence behind Blaine's eyes scared him._

_"We can't."_

_Two simple words came out of Sebastian Smythe's mouth. Two little words, so short, yet so full of complicated meanings. He watched as Blaine froze. The two were once again staring at each other before Sebastian could see the beginnings of something stirring behind Blaine's hazel eyes: pain._

_The shorter boy's shoulders started shaking. Sebastian was up from the bed in less than a second and was enveloping the boy in his arms. They stayed in the position: chest to chest, skin to skin. Sebastian awkwardly hugged his friend, feeling the salty tears on his naked flesh._

_"Why," Blaine choked out. "Why doesn't anyone want me?"_

_The words hung in the air. A plea. An accusation. A cry for help._

_Sebastian didn't know how to respond._

_"Kurt doesn't want me. You don't want me. What's wrong with me?" His words were interrupted by sobs, chokings, and coughs. His body shook with every word, as if it were trying to expel the feelings from itself._

_"Blaine...I..." There was nothing that he could say. Sebastian was barely familiar with his own emotions, much less someone else's._

_Blaine turned his head and rested his cheek against Sebastian's chest. His breathing was ragged and heavy. _

_"I don't know what I did wrong. I tried. I really did. I gave him space. I supported him. I texted him good luck and sent him morning emails, wishing him a good day. I defended him when you and Tina called him a jerk. I bought that stupid bow tie and sweater for him for our date. What else could I have done?"_

_Sebastian could hear the wind and a car driving past his house. The room was uncomfortably quiet before Blaine continued speaking._

_"All I want is to feel important. I don't need him to drop out of school for me. I just need him to look at me, to _**really** _look at me. I want to feel needed. I want to be wanted. It's been weeks since I've felt important." He looked up at Sebastian, fresh tears in his eyes. "I feel ugly. I feel stupid and disgusting. And I know that I'm not. I know people shouldn't think that about themselves, but what am I supposed to do when the one person who's supposed to want me...doesn't? _

_"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this, but I just needed to feel..._something_. Why can't you let me feel wanted? Why can't you give me that, Sebastian?"_

_Just tonight I won't leave  
__And I'll lie and you'll believe  
__Just tonight I will see  
__That's it's all because of me..._

_Sebastian stared down into a set of eyes, eyes that were begging him for a release that he so desperately wanted to give. He was incredibly aware of their closeness, of Blaine's chest pressed tightly against his stomach. He could feel Blaine's heavy breathing as their bodies were pushed against one other with every breath. He was positive that Blaine could feel his body betraying him as the blood began rushing down south._

_"We can't, Blaine," he choked out. He felt more tears fall onto his chest. "I can't let you do that because as badly as you want that now, you'll hate yourself for it in the morning; You'll hate me. I can't let you do that." He gently stroked the back of Blaine's head as he spoke._

_"I won't be the mistake that you make tonight. I won't do that to myself and I won't do that to you." It was as if Sebastian was accessing a part of his heart that had never been used before. Where was all this emotion coming from? "Why don't we get you into bed. If you really want to do this in the morning, then we'll talk."_

_He winked and the joke worked as Blaine coughed up a strangled laugh and detached himself from the taller boy. Blaine crawled into the bed when Sebastian pulled back the sheets for him. The Warbler looked down at his friend. Blaine had never looked so small or fragile. The sight was breaking Sebastian's heart. No one should ever look that sad or dejected. No one deserved that. _

_His heart broke further when Blaine looked up at him, a pleading in his eyes: "Will you...will you let me sleep with you? Just for tonight? I don't mean like that, I just...I don't...I can't to be alone. Not tonight."_

_There was not a force in the world that would stop Sebastian from fulfilling that request. He smiled in response and nodded his head. Blaine's body seemed to calm down a little and relax from the answer. Sebastian walked over to the wall and turned the lights off. He walked back to the bed and climbed in under the covers next to Blaine. The two laid there for a minute._

_"Sebastian?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Can you hug me?"_

_"Of course, Blaine."_

_"I'm sorry I'm so annoying."_

_"Blaine?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Shut up."_

_The smaller boy smiled and pushed himself further into the larger body behind him. It was as if he was trying to turn their two separate bodies into one._

_Just tonight I will stay  
__And we'll throw it all away  
__When the light hits your eyes  
__It's telling me I'm right  
__And if I, I am through  
__It's all because of you  
__Just tonight_

_It's all because of you  
__Just tonight  
__It's all because of you  
__Just tonight  
__It's all because of you  
__Just tonight..._

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Crap all over my face, that was longer than I wanted it to bed. I thought about splitting it up again, but then that would mean delaying the scene that I'm assuming everyone was waiting for (our major SeBlaine moment). I hate it when author's pull the "Oops! Sorry guys! It'll happen next chapter" like 5 chapters in a row (can I get an "Amen?"). **

**So what did you think of the bedroom scene? I know a lot of people were against Blaine cheating (as am I), but I wanted to include this scene (and technically there were no cheating!). It was important for me to kind of explore the SeBlaine relationship and set those ground rules. I wanted something to give the two characters a legitimate right to point to the other and say "We've been through crap together, we're close." Also, what are your thoughts on the song at the end? I tried to do something other than the typical "stick some song lyrics in a chapter." Did it work? Was it weird? Did you not care at all? lol**

**I would like to thank Adrien, anderpson (a little shout out to you in here, did you catch it?), RHatch89, TheVinah, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, TheOtherMaddy, and Jessica05. 12 for reviewing! You guys rock. I'm off to reply to you all once I upload this chapter. I would also like to invite anyone reading to just drop a quick note with some thoughts. They can be as short or as long as you'd like! Your reviews seriously make my day! :)**

**What'd you all think of Kelly in here? You'll see him pop up again. Do you want him to be someone who is purposely trying to hit on Kurt? Should he just be an innocent friend? I wrote that scene so that it could go either way. I know where he'll end up, but I'm not sure how I'll get him there. Any ideas are welcomed! What'd you think of the Scandals scene? I remembered the scene from Rachel's party where Blaine was drunk, so I kind of went with that version of a hot mess.**

**Again, anyone have any title ideas? How would you like to see these two handle the aftermath of such an intimate scene? Are we thinking shy and awkward? Do they pretend it never happen? Do they embrace it and move on? I'm open to suggestions (since I really have no clue what I'll write). Also, TheOtherMaddy, I'm aiming to put that Sebastian/Blaine/Tina scene in the next chapter that you requested. :)**

**Thank you again for reading. I hope you liked it! Also, I had a fun thought while typing this up: In your review, type in the name of your current favorite SeBlaine fic on here! I think we'd all enjoy a good recommendation. I'm always looking for new stories to become obsessed with, so DO IT! **

**I'll go first: you NEED to check out "Wolf Like Me" by Amy-Star. Holy crap you guys, it's FANTASTIC! Ok, now your turn! **

**Till next time!**

**P.S. Adrien: Dude/Lady(?) sign in so I can PM you a response! But thanks for the kind words! I'm honored that this is your favorite. And I really like the texts too. A lot of other people did as well, so I think I'll keep using them. Hope to see your review next chapter!**


	7. He Loves You

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to note that there was a mistake in Chapter 5. I wrote that Nick upped his therapy sessions. It's Jeff that upped his sessions, not Nick. It's also why Jeff has his "Reasons I'm Not a Waste of Space" list that his therapist made him create. Small error. I'll have to go back and fix it.**

**I upped the rating on this to M because of very mild language usage in this chapter. I'm not sure what the rules are, so I'll just be safe and not risk getting this deleted. Ugh...I suppose I'll have to write a sex scene now at some point to make an M rating seem legit.**

**P.S. Any originaly Nintendo Mario fans out there? #JEAH! -Lochte reference**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 7: "He Loves You..."**

It was Sunday morning as Sebastian sat in his room. He was spending his morning in sweatpants, attempting to be productive and keep his mind off of Friday's activities. He was failing.

No matter what he did, his mind always drifted back to that night.

oOo

_"Sebastian?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Can you hug me?"_

_"Of course, Blaine."_

_"I'm sorry I'm so annoying."_

_"Blaine?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Shut up."_

_The smaller boy smiled and pushed himself further into the larger body behind him. It was as if he was trying to turn their two separate bodies into one._

_Two minutes hadn't passed before Sebastian could hear the gentle snoring coming from Blaine's mouth. He turned his head and looked at the boy. He was a mess. Despite what he knew, Sebastian couldn't help reaching out and gently stroking the other boy's cheek. He loved the feel of Blaine's skin: soft, but still rough due to his stubble. Sebastian smiled to himself as he buried his nose into the boy's neck and breathed in his scent. He tightened his hold on the boy and opened his eyes in shock, in joy, as he heard Blaine moan slightly and press his body further into Sebastian. _

_The room was dark and quiet. The two boys were pressed impossibly close together, both seeking comfort from the other. If someone saw the two, they would swear that only only body was laying in the bed._

oOo

Sebastian tapped his finger against his desk. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Why was he so concerned with that night? Why had he allowed it to happen? He should have taken Blaine up on his offer and fucked his brains out or he should have sent him home. Those should have been his only two options.

Why in the world had he let him stay? What was it about Blaine Anderson that made Sebastian so unlike himself? There was no logical reason for Sebastian's actions. Blaine had been a mess. His cheeks were stained with tears. His skin was splotchy from his crying. His breath smelled like a White Castle toilet. Despite all this, Sebastian had had zero desire to kick the boy out of his bed. How many gorgeous men had he removed from his bed for lesser infractions? How many times had he made excuses or rudely told them to leave? Furthermore, how many men had he allowed to sleep in his bed, period?

Today, everything in his head screamed that he should have pushed the boy onto the floor, claimed ignorance, and suggested he go home since he was already awake. His own Smythe-logic told him that this boy had no business in his bed unless he was naked and had some part of Sebastian's body inside of him. It was that simple.

His thoughts were interrupted as his phone notified him that he had a new text message.

_Blaine: "Kill the spare!"_

_Sebastian: ?_

_Blaine: It's from Harry Potter. _

_Sebastian: You say that as though it's supposed to make it ok._

_Blaine: You made a Harry Potter reference last time we talked. I thought you'd get it?_

_Sebastian: Special circumstances, Anderson. This is not one. I refuse to acknowledge this nerd-reference._

_Blaine: Jeff would have acknowledged it._

_Sebastian: Jeff sees a therapist because he's emotionally unstable. I don't think you want to reference him when defending yourself._

_Blaine: Well, I wonder WHY he has to go to a therapist?_

_Sebastian: Weakness of character? And don't forget that he also carries around some stupid list of reasons why he isn't a loser, or something like that. Red flag, Anderson. Red flag._

He knew he shouldn't, but Sebastian couldn't help the small smirk of satisfaction on his lips. As innocent as Jeff was, Sebastian _did_ get a small amount of pleasure from teasing his fellow Warbler. Was it his fault that Jeff was so sensitive and couldn't take a little joking?

_Blaine: He was a really easygoing person when I left Dalton. Very calm, FYI._

_Sebastian: You're about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. It's my fault he's gone all "Girl Interrupted". I get it._

_Blaine: I'm just saying that you could go a little easier on him. _

_Sebastian: You know, I don't appreciate this cyber bullying, Anderson. You're making me feel like a bad person._

_Blaine: Did you feel that?_

_Sebastian: Feel what?_

_Blaine: The entire world rolling their eyes at once. My bed started shaking a little..._

How was it that Blaine could write something so corny, yet be so incredibly charming at the same time?

_Sebastian: As much as I enjoy our little volleying of wit, is there a reason you texted?_

_Blaine: Can I call you?_

Sebastian stared at the small screen. There was only one reason why Blaine would want to call him: He wanted to talk about Friday.

The problem? Sebastian didn't want to talk about Friday. He didn't want to hear Blaine say that it was a mistake and that he had patched things up with Hummel. Hell, he didn't even want to hear that Blaine realized that he realized he had feelings for him. No matter what he felt for Blaine, Sebastian knew that he was not interested in any sort of "relationship" with the smaller boy.

Why couldn't Blaine just pretend it didn't happen? What was wrong with ignoring the elephant in the room until it died?

_Well, then you'd have a dead elephant in your room. That'd be kind of creepy...and it'd probably smell..._

_Sebastian: Sure._

He stared at his phone with dread. Maybe Blaine would suddenly lose service? Maybe burglars would break into his house and steal the phone out of his hand? Maybe he could throw his own phone at his wall and break it? Maybe he could-

His screen lit up with Blaine's picture and name.

_Shit..._

oOo

Blaine chewed his lip as he held the phone to his ear. His knee bounced rapidly as he leaned forward on the edge of his bed. The phone had already rung about four times. Why wasn't Sebastian picking up? He had to have the phone in his ha-

"Hello?"

"Hi," Blaine said as brightly as possible, brighter than he felt. They exchanged idle conversation for a minute or so before Blaine worked up the nerve to say what he wanted to say to the other boy.

"So," he paused, "I wanted to talk to you about the other night at your place."

The sentence hung in the air as neither said anything.

"Blaine, there really isn't anything that you have to-"

"No, there is," Blaine interrupted.

"Really. Don't worry about it." There was a slight pleading behind Sebastian's tone as he spoke. Most people would have only heard the even speech, but Blaine knew that when Sebastian sounded too calm, it's because he wasn't. "Honestly, I'd feel better if-"

"Look," Blaine interrupted again, "I get that you don't want to talk about it. It's probably a really weird topic for you. Trust me, I get it." Blaine breathed into the phone. He worried for a second that Sebastian might be able to hear his heart beating so loudly. "And as much as I'd like to pretend it didn't, that doesn't change the fact that it did. You don't have to say anything, but I feel like I owe you an apology and an explanation."

Blaine resumed chewing his lip as he waited for a response.

"Despite my better judgement," Sebastian stopped when Blaine let out a snort, because really, in what world did Sebastian ever have good judgement?

"I resent your disbelief Anderson," he heard the amusement and mock anger in Sebastian's voice, "I do have good judgement. I just choose not to listen to it." Blaine smiled at his antics.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, despite my better judgement, if you really insist on groveling at my feet, begging my forgiveness, who am I to deny you the pleasure?"

Blaine appreciated the humor. It was a nice distraction from the seriousness of what they were actually talking about.

"Breadstix tonight? My treat."

"What makes you think I don't already have plans? That's pretty presumptuous for you to call me the day of and assume that I'm free. I'm slightly offended."

Blaine laughed lightly as he switched his phone into his other hand and allow himself to fall backwards onto his mattress. "Well, do you?"

"I will not belittle this conversation by answering such a question!"

Blaine was now laughing outright. "Well," he said in between his laughter, "how about I meet you there at 7?"

"Sounds good. Wear something sexy."

"Oh," Blaine countered, "I was planning on doing the whole trench coat with nothing underneath. Does that work?" Who said Sebastian was the only one who could be forward?

"Hello?" Blaine said after a few moments of silence. Did Sebastian lose service?

"Sorry, I was cleaning up the mess in my pants from what you just said. When I heard you say that, I had a mental picture in my head and I just shot the biggest-"

"Goodbye, Sebastian," Blaine said, hoping the mock-disapproval was evident in his voice. Maybe it was a dangerous game to try and out-do Sebastian at being Sebastian.

He shook his head in amusement as he heard the smirk in the other boy's voice when he spoke: "Goodbye, Killer."

oOo

Tina was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Blaine walking towards her. She smiled at the short boy as he returned her smile and sat at the table. She was continually surprised by Blaine's dedication to always looking so fashionable at all times. She felt a little underdressed for their Sunday afternoon coffee date, but that was Blaine for you: always dapper.

They exchanged a few words, mindless conversation about their drives to The Lima Bean or how good their drink was. Tina was a little on edge as she sat at the table. Not only did Blaine find out that Mike had visited her, clearly something that probably stung since Kurt was barely answering his calls, but he also had had a fight with his boyfriend. After a few more minutes of light chatting, Tina figured she'd have to broach the subject.

"So," she began hesitantly as she played with the napkin in her hands, "are we going to talk about that phone call the other night?"

She could immediately see the change in Blaine's face. His eyebrows scrunched slightly and his lips tightened. Most people would not have noticed the difference, Tina herself wouldn't have noticed a few months ago, but since the first day of senior year the two had become very close friends. Tina had started picking up on Blaine's nuances and mannerisms.

"We can, but then you'll have to explain to me why you never told me that Mike was coming to visit you. And I'm assuming that wasn't his first visit back here."

The accusation dangled in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she looked as Blaine only smiled at her, clearly enjoying her awkwardness. "I just...I didn't want to flaunt his visits in front of you." Despite his smile, Tina still felt guilty. She picked up her coffee mug and took a sip, giving her hands something to do.

"What?" Blaine looked confused. "What do you mean? How is that flaunting?"

Tina uncomfortably told Blaine about her uncertainty, about how she didn't want him to feel bad about Mike's monthly visits when Kurt wasn't even returning text messages. She reached out and held his hand as she explained that she wanted to be a good friend to him and how she thought she was doing right by him when she kept Mike's visits a secret. She felt a wave of relaxation when Blaine smiled back at her and gently squeezed her hand.

"As much as I appreciate you caring so much about me and my feelings, you don't have to worry," he said as he tipped his head to the side. "I'm a big boy Tina. I may not have the best relationship right now, but we're friends, and friends should be able to tell each other when their boyfriend is coming to spend the weekend with them..."

Tina smiled and felt foolish for thinking that Blaine would erupt into uncontrollable bouts of tears and agony if she ever mentioned Mike's visits.

"...especially when they just happen to coincide with your parents being out of town!" Blaine winked at her. He laughed when her face became bright red. He leaned forward and exaggerated a whisper: "Sounds like someone did some very unlady-like things this weekend."

Tina laughed and nearly spilt the coffee she had been drinking, trying to shield her blush from her best friend. Why had she been so scared? This is what she wanted the entire time, some good old fashioned girl talk with Blaine.

"Well," she said with an air of mock superiority, "a lady doesn't kiss and tell."

Blaine smiled as he answered her: "Well then it's a good thing that I don't see any ladies at this table."

oOo

Sebastian picked up his phone as he vibrated on the bed next to him. He sighed, hoping it wasn't Blaine again.

_Nick?..._

"Hello?"

"Hey Smythe, what are you up to?"

Sebastian looked around his room to his book he had put down and the Calculus homework to his right.

"Nothing, being rich and charming. Yourself?" Sure, he was a smart and dedicated student, but he'd never admit to actually applying himself in school. He had a reputation to uphold.

"Was wondering if you wanted to hang out this afternoon. I have a date with one of the Crawford girls tonight, but I'm bored out of my mind right now. I don't think I'll make it to tonight without passing out from boredom."

"And an unconscious Nick might miss his date," Sebastian nodded his head as he replied, as if the topic and logic were perfectly normal.

"Exactly!" came Nick's reply, "I'm glad we're on the same wavelength."

"I'm insulted. Even on my worst day, we'd never be on the same wavelength." The smirk was evident in Sebastian's voice. He laughed when he heard Nick sigh.

"You know, I must be a masochist if I thought calling you would be a good idea."

Despite the harsh words, Sebastian could hear playfulness and teasing in the voice on the other line. "Oh...sounds like someone learned a big word. Your mom get you a Word of the Day calendar?"

"No," came the reply without any hesitation, "your mom taught it to me last night during pillow talk."

Sebastian couldn't help the laugh as it escaped from his mouth. There had only ever been a handful of people in his life that had been able to make him laugh and render him unable to shoot back a snarky remark. Westerville was becoming a lot less sucky every day.

"My afternoon is completely open. What'd you have in mind?"

oOo

"So I have a bit of a confession to make," Blaine said as he began spinning his empty mug on the table. He knew his dinner with Sebastian that even was innocent. He knew that he had no intention of ever cheating on Kurt, thank goodness Sebastian had been level headed enough for the both of them on Friday. But he knew that what he had done was wrong. He felt as though he needed to tell someone about what had happened that evening, a sort of penance for his crime. Tina remained silent as she looked at him to continue.

"I...I kind of did something stupid." He watched Tina remain calm, and then almost choke on her drink in realization. "No!" he shouted, "Nothing happened, I promise, but I kind of did something stupid."

He went on to tell her about his Skype conversation with Kurt, about _Kelly_, about calling Sebastian, about Scandals (or what he could remember), and about what happened in Sebastian's room. When he got to the last part of his night, he kept his eyes trained on the mug, afraid to see the betrayal and disapproval in Tina's eyes, after all, she was Kurt's friend first.

"Blaine, look at me." Blaine lifted his eyes, surprised to see concern in them instead of anger. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded his head.

"Why did you do it?"

His heart began beating faster and he could feel the dormant tears in his eyes getting ready. "I haven't been feeling like myself lately," he admitted, his eyes returning to the mug. "I used to be really happy, you know? I didn't ever really feel sad or uncomfortable for too long. I mean, I would, but then I'd get over it and be happy again. At Dalton and with Kurt, I always felt really confident in myself. I may not be the good-looking brother, but I didn't feel ugly." He chanced a look towards and Tina and saw her open her mouth in protest.

"Come on Tina, you've seen Cooper," he argued.

She still held a defiant look in her eyes. "I still think it's a little overboard to say that you're not the good-looking brother. You guys are both pretty hot."

He blushed at her words and smile. "See, that's the thing. I don't feel like that. Ever since he's been ignoring me, I haven't believed that. All I ever feel is that I'm not enough. I feel like Kurt doesn't want me. I feel like his stupid high-school boyfriend that he wishes he had broken up with before going to New York."

His hands busied themselves with the mug. "That's not me, Tina. I'm not the insecure guy. I haven't been that guy since I left my first school after getting bashed. I don't like being that guy and I don't want to be him, but that's who Kurt is making me. That's why I did it. I know it was stupid. I know I shouldn't have done it," he slumped back into his seat, breaking his perfect poster in defeat, "I just wanted someone to want me. It was unfair to Sebastian, I get that..."

"And thank god he stopped you," Tina added.

"Yeah, I'm actually meeting him tonight to apologize." He leaned forward onto the table and dropped his head into his hands. "I just...I don't know, Tina. I don't know."

"I really think you need to talk to Kurt. Do you want me to say anything to him?" She asked as she reached across the table to rub his forearm.

Blaine smiled at her touch, the promise that was in her simple gesture. How had he become so lucky to find such a good friend in her? He put his hand over hers as he forced a smile on his face.

"No, thank you, but this is something that should come from me."

The two continued their talk for another hour. Slowly but surely, Tina was able to pull Blaine back from the dark place his mind had wandered into during his confession. She told him stories about her time with Mike. She finally gave in and they talked about his weekend at her house. The teasing and laughter coming from Blaine was an indication that his mind was being distracted from Kurt and their relationship. They hugged as they parted and walked towards their cars. Blaine sighed as he unlocked the black, expensive car and sat in the driver's seat. He gently played with his phone in his hand before he pulled up a contact on the screen: Kurt Hummel.

oOo

"So explain to me again why I'm playing a video game that's older than I am."

Sebastian and Nick were sitting on the floor, leaning against Sebastian's bed as they played Mario Brothers.

"You're a teenage guy who doesn't know how to play video games," Nick responded. He could see the beginnings of a protest from Sebastian. The taller boy's mouth was about to open, mostly likely in a cutting rebuttal, before his character, Mario, walked into a turtle and died. "See? How do you expect to make friends when you go away to college?"

He noticed Sebastian's features harden when the boy responded. "I don't think making friends will be a problem for me."

His words were calm, but there was something his face that made Nick want to push a little. "There's a difference between people being scared of you and them liking you, Sebastian."

Nick could see the other boy sitting still as he played his own turn. Luigi ran through the entire level, expertly collecting all the coins and using a hidden passage to skip levels. Nick sighed as he put down his controller, his turn being over. He looked at Sebastian as he stoically played his turn.

"So you're telling me that no one likes me."

Nick summoned his courage before replying. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." He watched carefully for a reaction from Sebastian. The boy turned his head away from the screen after pausing the game and looked directly into his eyes. Nick suddenly felt stupid for saying anything.

"And what makes you think that I care how the Warblers or anyone at Dalton thinks of me? When have I ever given you the impression that I give a sh-"

"Because you're a person." He watched as Sebastian's mouth hung open, still not completing his word. "Look, I don't want to make you feel bad or anything. I just thought you could use a friend."

Green eyes fixed onto Nick's brown eyes. "If you're here as some sort of charity, then feel free to take this stupid antique and get out of my house. I don't need you feeling sorry for m-"

"Get over yourself Smythe," Nick yelled as he stood up and stared down at the Warbler. "This isn't me feeling bad for you, thinking you need any charity. I'm just doing what I'd want someone to do for me." He returned the glare and stood his proverbial ground.

"And why is that?" came the reply, though with a significantly less amount of malice.

"I know what it's like to always be the new guy. Before my dad got his job here in Westerville, his company bounced him around from branch to branch. I went to eighteen different schools before I ended up at Dalton."

"Riveting story," Sebastian responded.

"I grew up with only one friend, David. We were in Kindergarten together. My dad moved us four months after school started. I cried for weeks. I never saw him again. After that, I was always too scared to ever talk to anyone. I knew that it was pointless to try and make friends because I'd just have to leave them."

"This story is pointless."

"My point is, I know what it's like to just go it alone. I know it seems easier, to pretend like you don't care, that you don't need anyone. I used to stay at home every weekend and do all my reading, finish all my homework and extra credit assignments. I used to glare at people if they ever smiled at me or pretend I didn't hear them if they asked me a question. My point is," he said as he sat on the bed, his voice softening, "I get it."

The two sat in silence, neither willing to speak. Nick watched as Sebastian stared at the paused screen, unmoving. He didn't know how long he watched the other boy just sit and do nothing.

"I'm not used to friends," came the reply, cold and emotionless.

Nick slid down from his spot on the mattress and took back his spot on the floor beside Sebastian.

"Well gee Smythe," Nick said as he bumped Sebastian's shoulder with his own, "I didn't know we were friends, but if you insist..." He looked over and smiled at the other boy.

Sebastian turned his head to look at him. Nick watched as a smile slowly, and probably begrudgingly, formed itself on his friend's lips. He turned his head back to the television and motioned towards the screen. "It's still your turn."

Sebastian picked up his remote and unpaused the game. "I went to eight different schools before Dalton; although, to be fair, it wasn't all from moving. I was kicked out of three of them."

Nick laughed as he watched his friend jerk his controller upwards as he made his character jump over a hole. "Somehow, that doesn't shock me. Screw some guy on the headmaster's desk?"

He watched as Sebastian smiled and laughed, glancing over at him before turning back to the screen. "No," was his reply as he jerked his controller again, "an empty classroom."

The two boys passed the rest of their afternoon bonding over vintage video games and trading stories about their families and moving. It was as if the two were meeting for the first time, learning about each other's interests and dislikes. Sebastian even shared about his parent's divorce after Nick told him about his own parent's separation. Their voices and laughter could be heard throughout the entire second level of the house. If anyone else had been in the mansion, they would have thought two crazy people were in the room. Fortunately for the boys, the entire house was empty. Once Nick left, Sebastian was again alone in the house.

oOo

Blaine played with his napkin as his knee bounced repeatedly. He was jostled out of his own head when Sebastian slid into the booth seat across from him.

"Fashionably late?" Blaine joked as he tried to make the situation less awkward than it was.

"I don't wait for people, Anderson. I'm waited on." His statement was accompanied by a wink, his own attempt at lightening the mood apparently.

Blain smiled. He thanked him for coming, and thanked him again for help him the previous evening. There was an awkward pause after Blaine brought up the subject.

"Don't mention it..." Sebastian's word came out clumsy and reeking of uncertainty.

Blaine tried to speak again, but he was interrupted by Sebastian.

"Look, Blaine, I get that you feel guilty or whatever, but we really don't need to talk about it, OK? I...I'd feel better if we kind of just put it behind us."

Blaine opened his mouth a few times, all with different intentions of what to say before he settled for some humor: "Did you really just pass up an opportunity to make a sexual reference out of the phrase 'behind us?'"

The joke seemed to be a magic spell as it made both boys laugh. They looked at each other with smiles. "You saying you want me to hit on you?" Sebastian teased. "I knew you'd miss it."

"You wish," Blaine said as he watched Sebastian give him a wink. "I just think you're losing all your moves."

"Speaking of moves, how about we talk about you dancing on that table Friday night?"

Blaine buried his face in his hands as Sebastian proceeded to tell him about his antics at Scandals. Some of the stories seemed vaguely familiar. Some of them he didn't even remember at all. He didn't believe the Waldo story until Sebastian pulled out his cell phone and showed him the picture that Blaine had apparently insisted he take.

"I can't believe I did all that." His words were muffled by his hands.

"Well, you had had a pretty rough night before that. You just needed to let out some steam." Blaine could feel Sebastian's eyes on him as the Warbler spoke. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He let out a sigh and subconsciously smoothed his hair back, a unneeded gesture due to the massive amounts of product in his hair. "We got into a fight."

Blaine looked up when he didn't hear a response. He could see Sebastian motioning for him to continue.

"We had our Skype date like we planned, except it was pretty much him just going on and on about New York. I sat there and listened to him talk for about 40 minutes. He didn't ask me about my life once. When he finished, I tried to talk, but he interrupted me after maybe 4 words with another story that I 'reminded him of.' And then _Kelly_ showed up."

Blaine looked up to see a blank expression on Sebastian's face. The one bad thing about talking to Sebastian was that he never indicated that he was interested in what you were saying. You had to really look hard to see that Sebastian cared. The way he tilted his head or the way he moved his hands, it was the little things that gave away the fact that he cared. Blaine could read the other boy's body, he knew that Sebastian was listening. It was frustrating to have to work so hard to know that his friend cared.

"Kelly is his friend. Actually, Kelly is his BEST friend in the entire world apparently and is funny and smart and talented. I'm sure weekends are spent saving orphans from burning buildings and brokering peace in the Middle East before bed."

Sebastian snorted when he tried to contain his laughter. His laughter grew even stronger at the annoyed look on Blaine's face. "No please, tell me how you really feel."

Blaine glared at his friend before continuing. "Did I mention that Kelly is a six-foot-tall man straight out of a Abercrombie magazine?"

"Way to bury the lead, Anderson. You should always start your stories with descriptions of hot guys who-"

"Really not the time, Sebastian!" The other boy apologized and Blaine went on with his story: "So Kelly shows up and tells Kurt that their performance that was cancelled last week is back on-"

"Wait, last week as in when Hummel emailed you with the date?"

"Yeah. So apparently he wasn't missing me so much as his plans fell through and I was just a convenient distraction that could hold his attention before he rushed off to perform with _Kelly_."

"Wait, he left you? He went with Abercrombie?"

"Yeah. He told Kelly that he'd meet him in the lobby in a few minutes. Oh, and this is _after_ Kelly tells me that I'm not what he pictured Kurt to date."

"AKA He thinks you're ugly and that he's better looking." Sebastian replied with an eye roll while shaking his head.

"Exact...Wait! You think he thinks I'm ug-"

"Wait, is he hotter than you? Are we talking muscles? Good jawline? Did you get a look at a bulge to get an idea of how big his co-"

"Not the point Sebastian!"

"Look," Sebastian said as he raised his hands in surrender, "I may not think very highly of your girlfriend, but she's not the type to cheat, OK?"

Blaine looked down at the table. He felt an overwhelming amount of shame course through his body as he spoke: "You would have said the same thing about me before Friday night too, wouldn't you?"

He looked back at Blaine. "Even still, I don't think Kurt would ever do that to you. He," he hesitated, "he loves you Blaine. As big of an ass as he is, he loves you."

Blaine had unshed tears in his eyes as he stared back at the Warbler. How was it that Sebastian, of all people, would be the person to put him at ease about his relationship with Kurt?

"You used his name," Blaine choked out as he wiped the tears off his cheeks. Blaine smiled even wider when Sebastian actually blushed slightly. "And you called him a 'he.'"

There was a moment as Blaine sat there. A moment where the noises and people around him seemed to fade away. It was just him and Sebastian. It was as if they were back in Sebastian's bedroom again, snuggled close together, the world forgotten around them. He stared into Sebastian's eyes and realized for the first time how incredibly green they actually were.

"Thank you Sebastian. You're on a roll."

Sebastian smiled slightly before tilting his head in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You've pretty much saved me twice this weekend."

"Well, feel free to call me Superman."

oOo

"You would have said the same thing about me before Friday night too, wouldn't you?"

Sebastian didn't know how to respond. Blaine was right. Sebastian would never have expected Blaine to act the way he did on Friday. If someone had told him that Blaine would be taking off his clothes in his bedroom, Sebastian would have thought they were crazy.

He didn't know what to say. Despite the fact that he had nothing, the look on Blaine's face, that desperate look, made him need to say something. He couldn't leave Blaine like that.

"Even still, I don't think Kurt would ever do that to you. He," he hesitated. He knew what he had to say, but every fiber in his body screamed for him not to. It begged him to find other words to comfort his friend. In the end, he knew that nothing else would calm Blaine and give him the peace and relief that he was seeking. Even though it was the last thing that Sebastian wanted to say, he knew it was the one thing he _had_ to say. "He loves you Blaine. As big of an ass as he is, he loves you."

The moment he said those words, he knew Blaine was different. He knew it by the way that his heart ached as the smile appeared on Blaine's lips, the smile that was due to Kurt Hummel, not him. He knew that Blaine was different by the way that even though he felt miserable from the shorter boy's happiness, there was still a sense of contentment knowing that Blaine was no longer sad.

Sebastian couldn't tell you what they discussed for the rest of their meal, or what he even ate. What he could tell you was that Blaine looked down when he was nervous or embarrassed. He could tell you that Blaine had little wrinkles next to his eyes that folded on themselves when he smiled. He could tell you that while Blaine did have a fake laugh he would use, he never used it once at that table.

Sebastian could tell you that he was entering into unknown territory. These thoughts were new to him. When Blaine smiled and said goodnight, Sebastian watched him walk away. He didn't look at Blaine's ass or check out how good it looked in his tight pants, he watched the boy leave: A boy, a person, not a body.

"Bye."

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm going to be honest, I really just needed to wrap this up. I've been putting my writing off for too long and felt like I needed to get something out for you all. What'd you think?**

**Criticisms and positive reviews are ALWAYS welcomed (as you all already know!). I would like to thank Aledda, infinitelyophelia, Des, TheVinah, holahola, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, TheOtherMaddy, TormentedGirl, TheWarblersAreTOTALLYAWESOME , RHatch89, anderpson, Forever Gleek2000, and BelaGray for reviewing. You guys rock! And some of you are repeat reviewers. You all know how much your reviews brighten my day! I PMed a response to your reviews, hopefully you got them!**

**So yeah, the end: too much? I'm always kinda bitter when I see characters fall for each other after about two minutes. I'm seeing this not so much that he's "OMG! BLAINE! 3," but that he's really realizing that his feelings for Blaine are real. I don't plan on throwing the "L" word (no! not lesbian!) around anytime soon with them. What are your thoughts? Suggestions?**

**What about the scene with Sebastian and Nick? Hopefully I straddled that line of Old Sebastian and who he's slowly becoming. I don't know. His character development in general, any thoughts? Should I dial it back? Do we need some scenes of him being a hardcore douche?**

**There seemed to be a general consensus that the friendships between Blaine and Tina and Sebastian and Nick were good, so I threw more of that in here. Anything else you're liking or would like to see more/less of? I'm really open. I need some inspiration on where to take these guys in between the big scenes I already have in my head. **

**So I feel like I'd like to share another favorite story of mine. I thought I'd throw out WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks' story "Sync Your Heart to the Beat of Mine" (see guys!? If you review, I'll plug your story! haha). It's another great SeBlaine story. I'm really enjoying it. Anyone else out there reading it? Again, name drop a favorite story of yours. Let's start a recommendation list!**

**As always, send me your ideas for a title for this! It's called "Untitled..." for a reason.**

**Review please! :) And I'll hopefully see you all very soon! I'm kind of amped that my word count is getting so high. It gives me a sense of accomplishment!**

**NEXT TIME: ...no clue? Only thing I know is that Tina and Sebastian will finally interact. What else would you like to see here?**


	8. How Not To Make Friends

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts. Partly because I thought it was a good ending, but mostly because I'm kind of creatively dry at the moment and wanted to get something out for you. This is shorter than the last few. The next chapter will be out soon though (is my hope).**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 8: How Not To Make Friends**

Blaine hummed quietly to himself as he drove his car down the street. The Saturday morning sunlight was filling the black sedan as it made it's way through the tree lined neighborhood. He looked over at his passenger and smiled. The sun and the view of the houses that they were passing framed Sebastian's face. His look was returned with a glare.

"You'd think I killed your puppy with the way you're glaring at me," Blaine defended himself as he was balancing his eyesight between the road and his friend. Would there ever be a day where Sebastian Smythe didn't find some fault with the world?

"A puppy can be replaced Anderson, I'll never get the sleep that you stole from me back," came the hostile response. He turned his head and leaned it against the window as Blaine continued driving.

"Really? Dead puppies are ok, but waking up at 10am on a Saturday is cause for glares and high levels of hatred?" He turned to look at Sebastian. "Seriously?" He smiled to himself as he started singing a mumbled rendition of "Cruella De Vil."

He only received another glare in response. The truth was, Blaine had missed the taller boy. It had only been a week since they had had their adventure, or at least Blaine's liver had an adventure, at Scandals. Ever since that night, things had been different. He wasn't quite sure what had changed, but his opinion of Sebastian had really changed that night. Not only was he there to distract him from Hurricane Kurt, but he was also there to stop him when he, in a moment of weakness (OK, fine, drunkenness), tried to take things too far. Blaine hadn't lived a long life quite yet, but he knew enough to know that that type of friendship wasn't something to neglect; it was something to embrace.

He wasn't sure what he was doing, or even if it was the best idea in the world, but it seemed as though the world was nudging him in Sebastian's direction. Blaine wouldn't go so far as to say that Fate was bringing them together, but it did seem as though perhaps they had started off on the wrong foot. The version of Sebastian that had called him "sex on a stick" was no longer present when he looked to the other side of his car. The boy that was leaning his head against the window was a bit of a mystery still, but he was different now. Sebastian wasn't the same Warbler he used to be.

Sebastian had always been, for lack of a better term, a horny teenage guy in his mind. He was never without a sexual innuendo and always took every opportunity to touch Blaine or let his eyes wander over his body. Sure, those types of advances should make someone feel insulted or cheap (which they did), but Blaine also enjoyed the attention. It used to make him feel a little special. Sebastian was a very good-looking guy who could probably have his pick of suitors: who wouldn't feel some sense of pride in attracting his attention? The other part of Blaine, the part that actually had some amount of self-esteem and self-worth, did feel a little cheap and insulted by the boy's advances. Needless to say, the novelty wore out very quickly, especially when it started affecting his relationship with Kurt.

_Kurt…_

Blaine frowned as he shook his head. This was not a time to think about Kurt. He shook his head and glanced another look at Sebastian: the boy was leaning his head on the window, half asleep. Well clearly, that would have to change.

Blaine continued driving, making his way to the mall. He pulled into a parking spot and turned the car off. He looked over at his friend, debating on which way to wake him. A smirk slowly formed itself on his lips. He pulled his hand back and slammed it onto his steering wheel. The noise from the car's horn shocked the other boy out of his sleep and had him jumping into the air. Blaine suspected that had his seatbelt not been in place, Sebastian may have crashed through the car's roof. He couldn't help his laughter as he clutched his sides, thinking about the expression on Sebastian's face when he woke up. He looked over to see a seething Warbler, eyes wide and hands balled into fists.

"What the HELL was that for?!"

oOo

"So remind me again why you dragged me to the mall on a Saturday morning?" Sebastian yawned as he leaned against a display table. He usually enjoyed sleeping-in on the weekends, that is until a certain curly-haired, height-challenged public schooler chose to show up at his door after calling his phone numerous times and ringing his doorbell.

"First off, it's noon, so it's not the morning," Blaine stated as he was scanning a rack, "secondly, I woke you up at 10 o'clock. Stop pretending like I dragged you out of bed at 5:30." Blaine punctuated his statement with an eye roll directed at Sebastian. "And lastly, I need a second opinion on a suit." He held out a jacket, silently asking Sebastian for his opinion.

"Kurt usually helped me with shopping, but that's obviously not an option." Sebastian nodded his agreement. "Tina has stepped in since then, but she doesn't really know a whole lot about suits. I figured after a life of galas, charity events, and debutante balls, you might be able to help me in picking out something new."

Sebastian smirked as he spoke. "Debutante balls? Planning on 'coming out' again, Anderson?"

"No," came the reply as Blaine continued to look through the clothes, "did that a long time ago." He looked up and smiled at Sebastian before returning to his search.

The taller boy looked at the suit that Blaine was currently looking at and shook his head with a frown.

"Why are you buying a suit?"

He watched as he saw Blaine smile with a glint in his eye.

"What am I, a farmer?"

Sebastian couldn't help but smile. The tone. The haughty look on his face. The way he stood up a little straighter.

"Is that supposed to be an impression of me?"

It was as if Sebastian finally woke up. He moved forward, took the hanger out of Blaine's hand, and put it back on the rack. He started leading Blaine out of the men's section. He smiled when he noticed the confusion on Blaine's face and answered before the other boy could even form his question.

"You want a suit, right? Any suit worth having won't be found in a department store. The stench of middle class is impossible to dry clean. Honestly, Blaine. I worry about you sometimes. Honestly, what next? You're going to start cooking your own meals?"

As the two walked through the store, or more appropriately, as Sebastian pushed Blaine out of the store, a perky, young sales associate tried to stop them. Sebastian barely noticed the girl before she was asking them if they needed anything.

Sebastian turned his head slightly, a dismissal already evident in his eyes. He didn't even allow Blaine to slow down as he continued walking away from the girl, not even bothering to answer.

oOo

"Thanks again for taking me to your tailor. My dad has one, but both my parents are out of town until next week. I think they're somewhere in Europe right now."

Sebastian nodded his understanding. Blaine figured that he could probably relate to parents being gone for expended periods of time.

"I've asked my dad before to take me to get a real suit, but my dad told me that I would get my first proper suit when he took me for graduation, just like he did for Cooper."

"People always say the man makes the suit." He took a sip from his mug. "But they're usually poor people who bought their suits off the rack at JC Penny or something. My dad always says that a good suit can make a man a better version of himself."

Blaine laughed as he took a sip of his drink. The two were seated at the Lima Bean, essentially the only place in Lima worth going to as far as Blaine was concerned.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes as he responded. "Why are you laughing like that?"

Blaine couldn't help himself as he put his mug on the table before he spilled any of his medium drip. His shoulders shook slightly as he tried to control his face.

"I'm sorry, but what high schooler talks like that? Who has a personal tailor before they graduate from high school? I feel like I'm talking to Chuck Bass in an episode of Gossip Girl…"

Sebastian was answered with a slight sneer. Despite his best efforts, Blaine could tell the other boy was only joking: "Spotted: B making accusations at the Lima Bean while while his BMW is parked in the…" the color suddenly drained from Sebastian's face as he stopped talking.

Blaine choked on nothing but air when Sebastian's words registered in his mind. He fought the urge to start laughing at Sebastian's obviously slip up.

"Did you…" more laughter, "did you really just quo—"

"I will give you $100 to pretend you never heard that and to never tell anyone else about this," Sebastian said as he stared intently at his coffee mug. The other boy was obviously refusing to look up and make eye contact with Blaine.

"Are you kidding? Why in the world would I do that when I can lord it over you from now on? Do you know how rare of an opportunity this is?" He smirked when he saw Sebastian visible sigh in exasperation, "I mean, honestly! The great and powerful Sebastian Smythe, in a moment of weakness, accidentally lets slip that he is fluent in Gossip Girl? What else do I not know? Are you hiding some _Pretty Little Liars_ in your pocket right now?"

Sebastian could only glare.

"No, in all seriousness…Team Jacob or Team Edward?" Sebastian was rearranging himself in his seat, in what Blaine assumed was an attempt to project some semblance of poise. "No? What about last night's episode of Teen Wolf? More of a Vampire Diaries kind of girl? I mean really. I feel like the clouds just opened up, God stuck his head down, winked at me, and said 'Just for you, Blaine.'"

Sebastian's face was clearly waging war against the smile that was threatening to form itself on his lips. "You think I'm just going to walk away from this information? What do you take me for? A Hufflepuff? No way am I—"

"OK!" Sebastian shouted. "OK. I get it. You can ramble incessantly in what you clearly think is witty dialogue." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I get it!"

Blaine was about to tease him some more when he spotted a very familiar face waiting in line.

"Tina!"

He smiled when his friend turned her head and saw him. They waived at each other. Blaine used his hands to signal a complicated message. No, really. Third base coaches across the country would have seethed in jealousy in his ability to deliver his intended message: Come over when you get your drink.

Sebastian turned his head when he saw Blaine talking to Tina. He whipped his head back in Blaine's direction with wide eyes.

"If you tell her Anderson, I swear I'll—"

"What? Blind me with rock salts?"

Blaine noticed the softening of Sebastian's features at his joke. Clearly, Sebastian still felt guilty about the incident. It wasn't normal for the Warbler to back down from a verbal sparring match. Blaine couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. He assured his friend that the incident was behind them and promised to keep Sebastian's secret. He gave the boy one last smile before looking up to see Tina walking towards their table.

"Hi Tina," Blaine greeted her with a hug before pulling out the chair for her. "This is a nice surprise. I didn't think I'd see you today. How has your morning been?"

Tina smiled back and returned the greeting. He noticed that his friend seemed very stiff. She turned her head slightly to regard Sebastian. There was a small frown on her face that she was clearly trying to control.

"Hello Sebastian."

To his credit, Sebastian offered her a polite smile and said hello in response. The three sat in silence for about a minute. Everyone wore a smile on his or her face, but it was painfully obvious that none of them particularly felt happy at the moment. Blaine gave Sebastian a look, silently asking him to make an attempt. The other boy shook his head and made to take a sip from his mug.

"So Tina, have you ever watched Gossi—"

"Tina," Sebastian began. Tina turned to look at him, confused as to why he abandoned his drink suddenly, and waited for him to continue speaking. It didn't come. Sebastian opened his mouth a few times, obviously voting against the numerous condescending remarks that were surely popping into his mind. Apparently it was hard for Sebastian to be social.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting anything?" One of the baristas walked up to the table with a tray of small cups.

"Oh, thank God no," Sebastian replied as he gave the girl the most sincere smile Blaine had ever seen Sebastian wear. He looked at her nametag: "You're not interrupting anything at all Maddy."

"Oh," Maddy blushed in response, "well I just came over to ask if any of you would like to try our newest drink? We're calling it a 'Sleepover'." She began handing out cups when the three nodded their heads affirmatively. "I guess they have a lot of caffeine or something…or maybe it's because the make you sleepy…"

Blaine smiled to himself when he noticed Sebastian visibly trying to stop himself from berating the girl on not knowing about the drink. Being that coffee was one of his life's passions, uneducated baristas were one of his pet peeves. He thanked Maddy and smiled when she told them to enjoy the sample. He watched as she walked over to the next table and then turned to his two friends.

"Well, I guess we can now say we've had a sleepover together?" Blaine tried to lighten the mood with humor. If his life were a television show, this would be the part where the camera would cut to a scene of crickets chirping in an open field. But alas, his life was not a show. Who'd want to watch a show about kids singing in a Glee club in the middle of Ohio?

Another minute of silence passed. He looked at Tina, pleading with his eyes for her to say something. The look he received in return clearly conveyed her thoughts on the matter. He turned to look at Sebastian, giving him what he hoped was his best pitiful look. He smiled when he saw Sebastian looking offended before turning to Tina.

"So Tina," he tried again. Tina turned back to Sebastian once again. Blaine smiled and could almost see the gears turning Sebastian's mind.

"…how are your…"

Blaine's smile quickly faded when Sebastian finished his sentence.

"…stocks?"

Stocks? Sebastian asked Tina about stocks to break the ice? Blaine winced as he watched Tina's eyes bulge in their sockets. Clearly, she wasn't expecting that question. And clearly, Sebastian had been to one too many dinner parties with 40-year-old businessmen. He watched as Tina tried to figure out how to answer.

"Well, I don't have any." The awkwardness at the table increased. "I'm in high school."

Sebastian frowned at the answer. "Just because you're in high school doesn't mean you can't start securing your financial future. I mean a lack of knowledge of how to invest money is probably a big reason why so many people are po—"

"Poorly misinformed, I agree Sebastian." Blaine tried to cover up for his friend's misstep. He watched as Sebastian turned to him with a confused look on his face.

Some more time passed. Their conversations mainly consisted of Sebastian trying to find common ground with Tina. Each attempt seemed to be more disastrous than the last. At one point, he actually asked Tina if she had to do her own laundry. The questions were getting more and more desperate, and more and more offensive. It was like a messy train wreck that Blaine wanted to stop or turn away from, but couldn't.

"Umm…" Sebastian began. Blaine closed his eyes, waiting with dread to hear Sebastian's latest attempt. He was suddenly regretting asking the boy to try and talk to Tina. They would have all been better off if Sebastian just made a rude remark, insulting Tina enough that she just left.

"…so what's it like being Asian?"

Blaine's eyes flew open at the same time that Tina jumped up from her chair and started yelling. It was almost a scene out of a sitcom. All three high schoolers were talking loudly over one another. Blaine was apologizing profusely to Tina while at the same time asking Sebastian what was wrong with him. Tina was yelling at Blaine, apologizing that she couldn't sit at the table any longer while also telling Sebastian that that might have been the most ignorant question anyone had ever asked her. Sebastian was defending himself to both Blaine and Tina, saying that he was genuinely curious about the differences in culture and America's approach on how to treat her because of her Asian heritage and that he didn't understand why they were getting so upset.

It was as if someone flipped a switch. Tina was slamming the door behind her as she left and Blaine turned to glare at Sebastian, who wore a look on his face that could only be described as "too innocent."

"Was it something I said?"

oOo

Blaine pulled his BMW into Sebastian's driveway after spending the entire drive in silence. He was still very angry with his friend. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Sebastian really was still the jerk that he used to be and was just playing him. He looked over at the boy who was unbuckling his seatbelt. The person who had been there for him only a short week ago was also the same person who had purposefully insulted his best friend.

"Why'd you do it?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian looked up from his hands and regarded Blaine with a confused smile. "Well, I can't very well get out of your car without taking off my seat be—"

"You know what I mean Sebastian."

He watched as he saw Sebastian start to shift in his seat, almost willing his body to be comfortable as he spoke his next words to answer the question.

"I wanted her to go away."

Blaine blinked. That was his excuse?

"Look, I was uncomfortable. She was uncomfortable. _You_ were uncomfortable." Blaine opened his mouth, about to argue the point. "And don't even try to deny it. It was just a bad idea, OK? I'm not good with people like that. I don't…I can't just talk to people like you do. I don't know what to say to someone who I have nothing in common with. What did you think would happen?"

The two remained as the confession sat between them. "Look, yeah, I feel bad for the way that I treated your friends last year, but based on her own refusal to talk to me when you asked her," Blaine looked up and had the decency to look embarrassed, "yeah, I saw that by the way, I think it's safe to say that we weren't about to skip off together to giggle about where boys have touched us anytime soon."

Blaine couldn't help but snort at Sebastian's joke. He smiled, but then remembered that Sebastian still had been rude.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to ask her what it was like to be Asian. People tend to find things like that kind of offense, Sebastian."

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders without an ounce of regret on his face. "I can apologize if you want, though I doubt she'd believe me. She was making things awkward. I know you wanted her to leave too, you just didn't want to make things even more awkward."

Blaine was surprised by what Sebastian said. "You mean you said it so that I wouldn't have to ask her to leave?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't mind being the bad guy. It saved you two from having to make up some obvious lie."

Blaine smiled as he looked at his friend.

"The other option was me telling her to go away," he paused before adding in an uncertain tone, "or throwing a rock-salt laced slushie in her eye?"

Blaine could see Sebastian carefully watching him for a reaction. He thought about teasing the boy and making him feel bad by feigning hurt, but in the end he thought Sebastian had suffered enough. He smiled and said through some light laughter: "Well thank you for choosing the racist and less offensive option, as ironic as that might be to say."

Blaine was about to continue talking when he phone started ringing. He stared at the screen. He looked up to see that Sebastian had also seen who was on the other end of the phone call.

The mood changed in the car. The laughter that had once filled it was now long gone. He winced when Sebastian gave him a reassuring smile and climbed out of the car. A part of him wanted to throw his phone out the window and pretend he never heard it ring, but the other knew that the conversation was long overdue. Reluctantly he forced a smile and said goodbye to Sebastian.

"I'll let you answer that. Call me later if you need anything. Good luck, Killer."

Blaine numbly nodded his head and picked up his still ringing phone. He slowly pressed his thumb against the screen and slid it across to answer the call.

"Hi Kurt…"

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So that was that. Hopefully you liked it. I originally had another part I wanted to add, but figured you'd rather have another update, even if it was a little shorter.**

**Please take a second and let me know what you think in the review box below (yep, that one!). I've been so impressed by some of the stories that I'm reading. As I'm reading the chapters I'm thinking "Yeah! This is awesome! I totally gotta write something like this in my new chapter!" And then I sit down in front of my Mac and…..nothing. **

**Special thank you's to my awesome reviewers from last chapter: Chewi.x, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, Aledda, Des, TheOtherMaddy, anderpson (does anyone else cackle when they see the Blaine icon? No? Just me? Oh….awkward….), infinitelyophelia, TheVinah, and RHatch89. You guys are awesome. Look out for PMs in your inboxes…as I am about to respond to all your reviews! :)**

**I tried to work in some more douchey Sebastian since you seem to like that side of him. I feel that his entitled attitude might be a fun vehicle for that. Yes? More? Less? **

**Gotta B's chapter-ly Story Rec: Check out "In Another Lifetime" by jennypc. It's a future Seblaine fic that I'm quite enjoying. She just posted a new chapter a couple of days ago. DO IT!**

**NEXT TIME: Blaine and Kurt talk, Blaine and Sebastian talk, and so pretty dramatic stuff you guys…I mean…we're gonna take it **_**there**_** again. Look out!**


	9. The Phone Call

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Man, I'm so tired right now. Please excuse the multiple typos that I'm sure I'll miss…you know what? I got about half way through when I decided I'm too tired. It should be fine…famous last word. Haha! **

**I don't own Glee, blah, blah, etc.**

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**Chapter 9: The Phone Call**

Kurt was nervous.

He paced back and forth in his dorm room, his phone in his hand. He usually wasn't one for pacing, but it was something to do. It was as if his body craved some sort of activity, some sort of distraction from what he was about to do. His fingers drummed on the screen as he looked around his room, looking for the courage that was hiding from him. He glanced at his door for the fifth time, weighing his options, seeing if he could rationalize going for a walk to put off the conversation another day. It had been a week since they're horrible excuse for a Skype date. Memories of his horrible behavior and complete disregard for Blaine's feelings flashed through his mind at the sight of his computer screen.

He let out a sigh of resignation, letting out his uncertainty and dread and summoning every once of chivalry that he had left. The phone call was the right thing to do: it was what Blaine deserved. His hand shook slightly as he continued walking around in a circle, half of him praying that it would go to voicemail while the other half prayed that the curly-haired senior would answer. The phone continued ringing. Maybe Blaine was busy. He was probably out with friends or with his—

"Hi Kurt…"

Kurt froze where he stood.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. It seemed fair and what his actions called for, but at the moment all he wanted to do was hang up and spend the next six hours drafting up a script worthy of what his boyfriend deserved.

"Hi Blaine," he paused as he looked around his dorm room, silently cursing it for not being a human being who could come to his aid. "Long time no see."

The joke was dead on arrival. It seemed as though humor was not something that would fit well with the situation.

"Umm…how have you been?" Talking with Blaine had never been this awkward or difficult. Even back when he was attempting to court the younger boy, Kurt always felt a feeling of comfort when they were together. That was one of Blaine's talents: he was able to make almost anyone feel at ease. Now, it seemed as though his gift had been traded in for its evil twin.

"I've been good," came the hesitant sounding reply. "School and life are keeping me busy. How are you doing?"

The reply was polite.

Of course it was polite. This was Blaine. Even if he was on the verge of stabbing someone (which let's be honest, anger and Blaine Anderson were no where near synonymous), he would probably ask them about their day and how their family was doing first. Years of being an Anderson and living amongst country club members and their functions had instilled the necessity for civility and manners. Despite his polite tone, something about its hollowness made Kurt crave some out of control yelling or accusatory tears.

"It's…" his voice tapered off before continuing, "look, I know you don't really care. I mean…of course you care, you're Blaine, but—but that's not what you want to hear." He breathed in some air, hoping that some of that hidden courage might sneak in as well.

"You want to hear me apologize, and I want to apologize. I _am_ apologizing: I'm sorry Blaine. I'm so sorry for last week. I'm sorry I planned a Skype date for us when my performance got cancelled. I'm sorry that I made it look like I was putting you first when really it was just a Plan B. I'm sorry that I went with Kelly and left you. And I'm sorry that it took so long for me to say I'm sorry…" he winced as he spun on his foot. He bit his bottom lip, hoping with all that he was that his regret was evident in his voice.

"I'm just…I'm sorry Blaine."

He stood in his spot, his eyes subconsciously darting back and forth. Since Blaine wasn't speaking, he decided to take the opportunity to continue his apology.

"I know I messed up. I've been a horrible boyfriend to you ever since I left Lima. There isn't really an excuse. I…" his stopped as he had to hold back the waves of emotions that were threatening to spill out. The last thing he wanted was for Blaine to feel sorry for him if he heard any sobs, because Blaine would. Blaine was so caring, and he, Kurt, did not deserve his kindness at the moment.

"I'm sorry of how I've let things become. Ever since I've moved out here, I've been going non-stop: classes, shows, dorm things, parties. I've been so focused on building my life out here that I forgot about my life, about my boyfriend back him."

Despite his attempts, Kurt was sure that Blaine could hair his nose running on the other end of the phone.

"I've tried to be…I've tried to be perfect out here. This is what I love Blaine, you know that…but…but I love _you_, too. I think I stopped telling myself that somewhere along the way. I let school and everything else here get in the way of being fair to you, and that's not okay.

"I'm sorry I let things get like this. I'm sorry that I've neglected you so much that you probably believed Kelly when he said I never mentioned you, but _I have_!" Kurt almost shouted the last two words into his phone. If nothing else was heard in the conversation, he needed Blaine to hear those two words.

"I swear Blaine! I've told him about you. I told him how we met and how I was so in love with you from the moment when I saw you at Dalton." A small laugh escaped his lips at the memory. "I remember walking down those stairs and seeing the most…the most gorgeous man come up to me. And then you sang…and whether you actually were or weren't…I told myself you were singing for me…I was yours from that moment on."

Kurt's sentenced were becoming spread out from one another. He had abandoned any attempt to hide his tears as he sat down on his bed and stared at the floor.

"Kelly knows about you. I know he does. He knows he does. He was just being…he was being a bad friend by teasing you like that. And trust me that when I say I let him know that. He knows you. He knows how you were my Tony. He knows about our first time. He knows how I love all your bow ties that you wear."

He paused, there was still no response from Blaine.

_Please God, or someone, please don't let him hang up…_

"I love you Blaine. I love you and I'm so proud to be your boyfriend, the one you chose. I'm sorry I've made you doubt that, but I promise that I'll do a better job. I'll do better because you deserve it, because you do. You deserve a boyfriend who is always there for you and I can't say how sorry I am that I haven't been that for you. But I will. I promise."

There, he had done it. He had said what he needed to.

He sat on his bed, waiting for a response, for some form of acknowledgement. Tears streamed down his porcelain cheeks, any care for his looks abandoned. He didn't even notice his roommate open the door before quickly shutting it once he saw Kurt's appearance.

The only sound heard on the telephone line was Kurt's heavy breathing and the silent plea that was within those heavy breaths, the begging that the broken boy was trying to get across. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut in defeat.

Blaine had hung up. He had heard what Kurt said, but it wasn't enough. He had—

"Thank you."

The words were so small, so weak that it made Kurt cry even harder. He heard the pain. He heard the betrayal. He heard the cries of hurt and sadness. That wasn't Blaine's voice. Blaine's voice was large and smooth.

No, this was an imposter. A shell of what his voice was.

"Don't cry Kurt…"

His words only seemed to have the opposite affect. Kurt fell backwards and pulled the pillow to his chest, tears fell down his cheeks as waves upon waves of guilt invaded his body, conquering him like a ruthless army.

"I get it Kurt," the voice sounded a little stronger. "Look, I get it. You're in a new place. You're making a new home. You have so much going on and I get that you need to…to be there and give it all that you have."

Kurt's cries lessened as he began to feel a small sliver of hope.

"You don't have to feel guilty about…about following your dreams. I would never want to be someone who held you back, Kurt. I…I want to support you. I want to help you however I can."

The pillow slowly dragged down his body as he started to sit up. His breathing was becoming more even.

"Kurt, I love you, and I know you love me. I've never doubted that. I…I mean…there were times where I wondered if this is still what you wanted, but…but I never thought for a second that you stopped loving me."

A smile slowly began tugging on Kurt's lips as he pushed himself back into a sitting position.

"I do, Blaine! I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm just…I can't say…thank you for…I—"

"But—"

Kurt stopped.

It was as if someone had punched him in the gut. He felt himself unable to move.

"But I don't think our problem is how we feel Kurt."

No. This was wrong.

"I mean, I understand it. I understand everything. Really, I do. But…but maybe this is just something that's bigger than us. Maybe it's something that we can't…something that we can't…I don't know…"

Kurt could now hear the tears on the other end. He could hear Blaine's breathing. He could hear his boyfriend—was he still his boyfriend?—trying to hold himself together.

Kurt just wanted to scream or throw something, but he knew he had no right. He lost that right the first night he told himself that he'd just call Blaine "tomorrow."

"Well," Kurt forced out, "it seems like you do know."

Six words.

Who knew six words could taste so bitter?

"No," came Blaine's reply. "I don't…I can't…Kurt I don't want to…I…"

Blaine was a mess. Kurt knew he was to blame for the younger boy's pain. Immediately, he knew he had to fix it somehow.

"Shh…" came his response. He cursed himself for being so far away, unable to pull Blaine into his arms and soothe him until he fell asleep. "It's ok Blaine. We don't have to make any decisions tonight. It's ok. I'm ok. You're ok…we're…we're ok."

He could hear the breathing becoming a little less desperate.

"I just…I don't know Kurt." There was another pause as the two let the silence separate them like an ocean.

"I don't know."

It seemed as though hours passed. The two just stayed on the phone, neither speaking, neither knowing what to say. If you had asked Kurt how long he'd been on the phone, he wouldn't have been able to provide an answer.

"Why don't we just talk later?" he offered as he looked around his dorm room, searching for a way to fix his relationship. "They say sleep is sometimes the best remedy for a problem."

"Ok," Blaine replied in his small voice again.

There it was again, that small voice. He hated that voice. He hated that he was responsible for it.

"Goodnight Blaine," he paused before adding, "I love you."

There was another long pause. You could have told Kurt that days had passed and he might have believed you.

"Goodnight Kurt."

He heard his phone shut off. He pulled it back from his ear and saw the blank screen.

Blaine hand hung up.

His eyes squeezed shut again as a new batch of tears were released. The dorm room was filled with sobs and desperate gasps for air. The light remained off, but it was probably better that way. Kurt wouldn't anyone to see him in his state.

The sounds of traffic outside his window did little to drown out the sound of his heart breaking. He continued to cry, the image of a tear filled Blaine cemented into his mind, and that small voice: "Goodnight Kurt"

No "I love you."

Just "Goodnight Kurt."

oOo

Blaine dropped his phone on his head as he sat up from his position. He screwed his eyes shut and willed his pain back. He squeezed his entire body, trying to force it to reject what it was aching to do.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked across his room into the mirror.

Red.

His eyes were red. His hair was disheveled and his bow tie was crooked. He silently walked up to the mirror, smoothed down his hair, and straightened the bow tie. He stared into his eyes, those he could not help. He tried to smile, but it looked and felt so phony that he abandoned it.

He turned back to his phone and walked over to the small black device. He picked it up, unlocked his screen, and pulled up the number of the person who he knew could make him feel better, the person who he needed in that moment.

Right before his thumb was able to press "Tina Cohen-Chang" on the screen, the picture changed and he found himself looking at a new notification.

_New Text Message: Sebastian Smythe_

He slid his finger across the screen and opened the text.

_Sebastian: Hey there Killer. How'd it go?_

_Blaine: As well as could be expected._

_Sebastian: How incredibly cryptic of you. Please stop. You're overwhelming with with details. _

_Blaine: Not in the mood for it Sebastian._

_Sebastian: Sorry. I thought a little sarcasm might lighten the mood._

_Sebastian: …he said to no one, apparently._

Blaine smiled in spite of the previous conversation. He had decided to ignore Sebastian's comment. Apparently the Warbler only took Blaine's silence as an invitation to continue.

_Blaine: You're not one to give up, are you?_

_Sebastian: I'd say perseverance is my middle name, but that would make me sound incredibly middle class, so I will just answer with a "No, I am not."_

_Blaine: The lady doth protest too much, methinks. All this talk about "poor people" makes me wonder if you're secretly one of the scholarship kids at Dalton. There's nothing wrong with that, you know._

_Sebastian: You take those dirty words back._

_Blaine: I refuse._

_Sebastian: Then you can't come to my birthday party!_

_Blaine: Nooo!_

Blaine was laughing as he answered his ringing phone.

"Feeling better?"

Blaine smiled at the question. Leave it to Sebastian Smythe to cheer Blaine up in this manner. Although, Blaine felt as though he should consider himself lucky: the cheering up didn't require the Warbler to get racist.

"Actually, yeah," he laughed as he answered the question. He smiled as he leaned back in his bed. "I needed that, thanks."

He could almost imagine Sebastian gloating and smirking in self-satisfaction. He really shouldn't encourage any thoughts of superiority in the boy: God knew that Sebastian did a fine job of that all on his own.

"Of course."

There was a pause. Blaine felt like Sebastian had more to say. He was rewarded a few seconds later.

"Despite everyone assuming that I have no feelings because I'm just so damn attractive that God would feel guilty for also giving me a heart," Blaine rolled his eyes at Sebastian's words, "I care, Blaine."

Another pause.

"You're one of the few people in Lima that make me not completely hate this town."

"Few people?" Blaine asked. He felt more and more like his normal self with each passing word. Though many people would write off Sebastian as some stuck-up rich kid who was only interested in pleasing himself, Blaine knew better. He knew that despite Sebastian's best efforts, the boy had a heart. It might be buried deep beneath layers and layers of conceitedness and superiority, but it was still there.

"Are you telling me that you finally learned how to make friends?"

"Ha…ha ha ha…ha ha," came the sarcastic response. "Your wit should be a Lady Gaga costume. It's so _original_."

Blaine laughed as they continued their banter. How was it that Sebastian always knew what to say to make him feel better? The two went back and forth for about almost an hour. After the first ten or so, Blaine felt much better, and found himself concentrating more on the boy on the other end of the phone than the one on the other end of the country.

"So let me take you out and officially get your mind off of Lady Hummel. We'll paint the town red."

"You mean go to Scandals and get drunk?"

"No, I meant grab some dinner and hang out. I'm starving and Scandals has a horrible kitchen. I'm semi-convinced they sauté their food in Chlamydia."

Blaine looked over at his clock and saw that it was indeed dinnertime. His stomach chose that moment to agree with his mind as it grumbled, demanding to be fed.

"Sure, I'm in."

"Great, pick me up and we'll head over," came Sebastian's reply.

"Pick you up? Aren't you supposed to be cheering me up? I'm the one who had the horrible conversation with his boyfriend.

"I don't drive people, Blaine," Sebastian replied with what Blaine swore was an audible smirk, "People drive me. I'll leave the door unlocked, just come in."

oOo

Sebastian was in his room trying to decided between a few different shirts when he suddenly felt his entire body tense.

The door.

He heard a door close downstairs and footsteps going through the house. He was supposed to be alone in the house. He stood still and listened silently as the steps echoed down the hall and into his room. It couldn't be one of the maids; they didn't come in on the weekends. A burglar wouldn't be that loud.

His breathing quickened as he cautiously walked out of his room and down the stairs. He crept down the stairs slowly and made his way through the large home. He stopped suddenly outside his father's study when he heard the clinking of glass. A drink was being poured. Sebastian's hopes of it being a burglar were destroyed.

William Smythe was home.

oOo

Blaine pulled up to the red light. He drummed his fingers on the wheel as he bopped his head to the P!nk song that was playing on his car stereo. He decided it was probably a good time to send Sebastian a quick text to let him know he was almost at his house. He frowned when he realized that his phone wasn't in its normal spot in the car. He cursed and hit his steering wheel when he remembered leaving the device on his desk in his room.

_Oh well, guess I'll just surprise him when I walk inside…_

oOo

Sebastian knocked on the doorframe of the study and waited for his father to turn around and acknowledge his presence. His relationship with his father was less the loving. Far less than loving. Loving was like a dream that their relationship couldn't even begin to fathom.

He stood patiently, at least on the outside, while he waited for his father. After William finished pouring his glass and taking a sip, he turned to face Sebastian. He could immediately see that the scotch wasn't his father's first drink that day. The man's eyes were bloodshot and there was a sloppiness to his facial features. They were contorted into the special sneer that was reserved solely for the younger Smythe.

"What do you want?" he asked before moving over to the leather chair behind his desk.

Sebastian nervously took a step into the room. He hadn't been invited, but his father had spoken to him without yelling for him to leave. That was probably a sign that it was ok to enter, right?

"I—I just—"

"Stop stuttering. You sound pathetic," came the harsh reply. The verbal slap was accompanied by a subtle head shake. "Although I'm sure you can't help that, now can you Sebastian?"

Sebastian tried to school his features and calm his nerves, but being around his father always made him lose his usual steel control.

"Spit it out or leave. I've had a long trip back and the last thing I need is my faggot of a son annoying me with speech greatly below the standards of which I have apparently wasted my money on over the years." William Smythe downed the rest of the contents in his glass and leaned back into the chair. He closed his eyes, signaling that he was done with their conversation.

Sebastian mentally scolded himself and backed out of the room and forced out a "Welcome home Father," before shutting the door. He immediately hurried back to his room to call Blaine and tell him that they should meet at Breadstix instead.

He tapped his foot as he waited for the "Hello" to appear in his ear. Instead, all he got was Blaine's voicemail. He had never been so annoyed to hear the stupid message. He hurriedly left a message saying that he would meet him at Breadstix. He ended the call and walked over to his desk to grab his keys. He chanced a glance out the window just in time to see a figure walking away from a parked black BMW in the driveway.

Sebastian was sprinting out of his room, hoping beyond hope that Blaine would be too polite to simply walk in the house like he had stupidly suggested over the phone.

oOo

Blaine hesitated at the door. He lowered his fist and stead turned the knob and pushed the door open. He could just imagine Sebastian's endless amounts of teasing if he rang the doorbell when Sebastian had specifically told him to walk in.

"Hey, it's me" he yelled as he took a step into the grand foyer. "I was about to knock on the door before I stopped myself. I figured I would save myself twenty minutes of that Smythe-wit you seem to be so proud o—"

Blaine stopped talking the moment he saw Sebastian running down the hall towards him. He had never seen Sebastian look so, well, so terrified. If it didn't put a deep feeling of dread in his stomach, he might find the scene comical.

"What—"

"Hey! Sorry you must have missed my call. Let's get out of he—"

"What the FUCK is going on, Sebastian!"

Blaine's eyes were immediately drawn to the tall man standing in the hallways behind Sebastian. The way his eyes were burning with fair and the look of disgust on his face immediately identified him as Sebastian's father. But while Sebastian's anger and look of superiority barely had any effect on Blaine anymore, his father's presence completely terrified him.

"Who are you!?" Who the _fuck_ is this!?" the older man yelled as he walked over and grabbed the back of Sebastian's collar. He pulled backwards roughly and shook Sebastian.

Blaine instinctively took a few steps back, wide-eyed and fearful for his safety.

"T—this—thiss—i—is—"

Sebastian could barely force out words. Blaine had never seen this Sebastian before. He was always so calm and collected. Right now he was stuttering with his eyes darting around the room looking for an escape. He was a trapped animal who was backed into a corner.

"Is this your boyfriend!?" the elder Smythe yelled into his son's ear. "What? You thought you could just fuck your little boyfriend in _my _house?"

As his voice grew louder, Blaine backed up even further. The man looked like he was ready to kill someone. He felt blindly behind him, never daring to take his eyes off the man, opened the door, and ran outside and down the stairs before turning around to look at his helpless friend.

"Look how he runs Sebastian!" spat the man. "Couldn't get away from you faster. I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near you either." He looked down at Blaine. If looks could kill, Blaine knew he'd be dead ten times over.

"Get the fuck out of my house. Thank God I'm gone by Monday. Don't come back until then."

Blaine's eyes grew even wider when he saw the man fling Sebastian through the air like a ragdoll. The Warbler let out a strangled cry as he landed on his right shoulder on the ground at the bottom of the stairs. Blaine looked back up to the door when he heard it slam shut. He immediately ran over to his fallen friend.

"Are you ok?" he yelled as he bent down to help.

"Never better," came the forced reply.

He watched Sebastian wince as he slowly got up and dusted off his clothes. All he could do was stare in amazement as Sebastian tried to pretend like nothing had happened.

"What do you mean 'never better?' Sebastian, your dad just—"

"Blaine, I'm fine. Calm down. You swear you'd never seen a dad joke around before," the denial was still there, and this time it was accompanied by a smile and soft laugh. If Blaine hadn't just seen what he had seen, he would have accepted the answer.

Unfortunately for Sebastian, Blaine saw what had just happened.

"Sebastian, that was _not_ joking around. Don't think that I'm going to let you j—"

"Blaine, please." The light tone and the smile were completely gone now. All that was left was a desperate look in the taller boy's eyes. "Can we just drop it?"

Blaine stared into green eyes. He studied them, looking for any answer as to what had just happened. All he saw was a pleading. All he saw was a little boy, ashamed of what had just happened, desperately hoping to return to an imaginary world where his shame didn't exist.

He knew better. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to just pretend that nothing had happened. He knew he shouldn't let Sebastian deal with it alone, but he also knew what it felt like to not want to dwell. Wasn't that why he was there in the first place? To forget about Kurt? He let out a shaky breath. While it wasn't what he wanted, Blaine knew it was what Sebastian wanted. He couldn't deny his friend this small token, especially after he was literally thrown out of his house by his own father.

"Drop what?" he asked with a practiced smile. "I was just waiting for you hurry up so we could go. I'm starving."

It was as if Blaine had said the magic words. Sebastian was instantaneously transformed. His shoulders stopped sagging and he stood up straighter. The desperate look on his face was replaced with a smile and his begging words were traded in for a laugh. There was also a "thank you" in his eyes that was never vocalized, though it was never needed. Blaine knew the boy was grateful.

"Actually, I'm not so hungry anymore. How about a movie?"

Blaine's stomach growled its argument at that exact moment, but Blaine understood the request. A dinner would be too tempting a place for Blaine to ask what had happened. A movie on the other hand was a place where they could sit in the dark and not talk for two hours.

Blaine of course agreed.

The two boys jumped into Blaine's car and drove towards the theatre. The ride was spent mostly in silence except for Sebastian's occasional commentary on the appearances of the other drivers on the road (apparently there were a lot of "unfortunate looking people" living in Lima). They pulled into the theatre parking lot, bought their tickets (Sebastian insisted on paying for Blaine's), stopped at the concession stand (sure, he paid $7 for a tub of popcorn, but Blaine's stomach was on the verge of mutiny), and found their seats in the theatre.

As the movie played, Blaine kept glancing over at his friend. He was worried. Sebastian was calm, too calm. A too calm Sebastian was never a good thing. He was putting on a good show, but Blaine was scared for when that would stop. About halfway through the film (he was so concerned over Sebastian that he had no idea what they were watching), Blaine saw a single tear roll down Sebastian's cheek. It was so odd, completely out of place. He wanted to wipe the tear away, wanted to tell him not to be embarrassed, but Blaine knew that was the last thing Sebastian wanted. So instead, he just reached over and grabbed the boys hand and held it. Sebastian didn't thank him or even look at him, but Blaine knew the gesture was appreciated when he felt a gentle squeeze.

The stopped by the ice cream parlor on their way back to Blaine's house. Blaine insisted on buy the cones to pay Sebastian back for the movie (he still had no clue what they "watched"), but the Warbler beat him to the punch by slipping the girl his credit card while Blaine made his case as to why he should pay.

As they drove, Blaine told Sebastian about his phone conversation with Kurt. While some might think it a bit selfish to complain his own problems when his friend had been so overtly abused by his own father only a few short hours ago, Blaine knew that Sebastian would welcome the distraction. He continued talking and driving. The more he talked, the less it seemed to hurt. Scratch that. It still hurt, but maybe it lessened just a slight bit.

"Is this your house?" Sebastian asked as he got out of the car and looked at the large home. It wasn't quite as big as his own, but no one in their right mind would even try to call it "small." They wouldn't even try to call it "big" either. It was definitely operating in the "huge" territory, but it was never something that Blaine liked to brag about.

"Yeah, you're staying here tonight." Blaine looked over and could see Sebastian preparing a speech about how he didn't need any pity. Blaine thought it might be a good idea to head off the rant before it even started.

"It would be nice to have some company tonight," he offered. "After my phone call, I don't really feel like being alone and my parents are still out of town."

They both knew that was a lie, but it seemed acceptable enough for Sebastian to play along.

"Geez Anderson, if you wanted to get me into bed, all you had to do was ask. You don't need to make up stories to get me naked."

Blaine shook his head and smiled at the taller boy. They walked up to the door and Blaine unlocked it with his key.

"How silly of me. I should have known. Please Sebastian, come inside so we can consummate our love by shedding our clothes and expressing our feelings and desires in such a carnal manner as uniting our—"

"Ok, ok, ok!" Sebastian shouted in mock annoyance. "Only you could make sex unsexy."

Blaine frowned. He knew Sebastian was only teasing him, but for some reason that comment really bothered him. He shook it off and lead Sebastian to his room. He threw the boy a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before grabbing some for himself and going into his bathroom to change. He made sure to take his time so as to not walk in on his friend changing.

When he stepped back into the room, Blaine could immediately tell that there was a definite size difference between him and Sebastian. The shirt was stretched tight across his chest. It actually looked a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, Blaine had given Sebastian a pair of shorts that had been a size or two too big for him, but he had kept anyway.

"Been shopping in the junior section again?" Sebastian asked as he laughed and pulled the shirt off. "This isn't me hitting on you, it's just me wanting to wake up tomorrow and not die of suffocation."

Blaine immediately looked away. He didn't want to stare at Sebastian's shirtless chest. Kurt or no Kurt, that wasn't who Blaine was. He turned his head back and made a point to only look the other boy in the eyes, and nowhere else. He knew Sebastian knew what he was doing, but thankfully the Warbler refrained from any teasing.

Blaine walked over to the large TV that was mounted to the wall across from his bed and knelt down in front of it, sorting through the DVD collection below. He was flipped through his collection when he heard Sebastian's question.

"What are you doing down there?"

"Looking for—ah, here we go," he replied. He slipped the disc into the player and joined his friend on the bed. He tried to contain his smile as he waited for the previews to finish playing. He couldn't hold it in any longer when the main menu popped on the screen and he saw Sebastian trying to remain neutral, and horribly failing.

"Really, Anderson? Gossip Girl?"

Blaine laughed and looked at his friend. "What else cheers a person up more than gratuitous television?"

Sebastian conceded a small smile. "This isn't even my favorite season," he mumbled.

"Well you're going to have to deal with it," Blaine retorted, "because I'm too comfortable to get up and change seasons." As if to prove his point his snuggled under the sheets and scooted closer to Sebastian. He felt the other boy freeze at the touch, but soon Sebastian was relaxing. Blaine thought he might appreciate the closeness.

The disc continued to play as the boys continued lying on the bed. Blaine had stopped paying attention to the television a long time ago and had instead decided to concentrate on his friend. He was sucked out of his thoughts when Sebastian spoke.

"Go ahead." He turned his head and looked at Blaine. "You haven't asked all night, thanks for that by the way."

Blaine blushed at being caught. "I just…what was that?" he asked.

Sebastian breathed in, clearly preparing himself for the conversation that awaited them.

"As you could probably gather from our little father-son moment, my father isn't exactly my biggest fan. He's never really been ok with the fact that I'm gay. It probably didn't help that he found out by walking in on me with French tutor in Paris, but who knows?" his joke fell flat in the room.

"But it's really gone beyond that. He's never really liked me for some reason or another. Actually," Sebastian admitted, "neither of my parents really like me very much. I was passed onto nannies ever since I was a baby."

He chewed his lip as he played with a stray thread on the blanket.

"My dad…sometimes he…" another deep breath, "…sometimes he gets a little angry and…"

"He hits you," Blaine offered, knowing the phrase was probably too hard for Sebastian to say.

Sebastian only nodded his head slightly. "He just has a lot of stress with work and the different organizations that he's involved in."

"Sebastian," Blaine said as he sat up in the bed, "don't make excuses for a man who hits his own son."

There was a sudden fire in Sebastian's eyes as he sat up in bed, putting himself higher than Blaine. "He may not be 'Father of the Year,' but that doesn't give you the right to judge him like that. That's my father you're talking about!"

Blaine was surprised by the biting retort. Despite the elder Smythe's actions, Sebastian still wanted to believe the best in his father. While it made sense, Blaine couldn't help but feel sad for his friend. The person who was hurting him was the person who he was currently defending.

"Sebastian," Blaine said gently as he reached out and grabbed the other boy's arm, "I don't want to say any negative about your dad, but…but I'm your friend first. I care about you and I'm sorry, but I can't sit here and pretend like I'm ok with what's happening. Not when it's happening to you."

There was a moment right then. Blaine could feel it. It was like that night a week back in Sebastian's bed. The world seemed to fade back and all that was left were two bright green eyes. There was a pull in Blaine's chest. The look on Sebastian's face looked so conflicted. It was as if his angels and devils were currently battling over what to say or do next and all he wanted to take Sebastian's hand and tell him it would be ok.

Sebastian licked his lips, something that stirred something inside of Blaine, before replying.

"It's my father, Blaine…" his voice trailed off. "I just—" this time his voice broke. Blaine watched as Sebastian turned his head away. The taller boy's shoulders started shaking slightly.

Blaine reached out to touch Sebastian's shoulder. The other boy jerked his body away, rejecting the touch, but Blaine refused to let him deal with this alone. He had allowed the elephant to be ignore the entire evening, but that time was now over.

"No," he said as he firmly grabbed Sebastian's shoulder, "I've pretended like everything's fine since we left your house, but everything isn't fine Sebastian. I'm not letting go. We have all night." He paused, hoping the boy would turn around only to be disappointed.

"Please," he tried again, "don't shut me out."

Slowly, Sebastian turned around. Blaine heart broke for the second time that day when he saw his friend. There were tears streaming down his cheeks and his eyes were turning red, but that wasn't what caught Blaine's breath: it was his face. In that moment, Blaine could see the little boy again, the little boy who felt alone and scared. It was like stepping onto a time machine and going back to Sebastian's childhood. There was an innocence and vulnerability that Blaine was sure hadn't shown itself in years.

"I just…I just want my dad to like me." The words were choked out as Sebastian tried to wipe away his tears. "Why is that too much to ask? I try...I try so hard, Blaine…I—I try…"

Blaine pulled the other boy into his arms and gently rubbed circles onto his back. After about twenty minutes, the crying stopped. About another thirty minutes after that, the breathing went back to normal. A little after that, Sebastian had fallen asleep. Blaine lay on the bed, still rubbing Sebastian's back, and stared down at the boy. A million thoughts were racing through his head.

He continued watching over the boy well into the morning before finally falling asleep. His hand continued rubbing comforting circles on the sleeping boy's back until he too drifted off to sleep.

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh many, finally! And this is the longest chapter to date. I hope you like it. I'm trying to keep these author's notes short because I feel like I just annoy you all with my ramblings.**

**So what did you think of the break up, part 1? Thoughts on Kurt? Suggestions for what you'd like to see here on out? There have been a lot of requests for them to just break up, but I want to be more delicate with this. They are each others' first love, and anyone who's been there knows that it's not a simple "we're through." We'll get there, but I'm curious to see what you all thought of that phone call? Also, writing from Kurt's perspective, I tried to approach it as him feeling super guilty and really appreciating Blaine for sticking with him through everything. That's why it came off a little Blaine-worshipy. **

**So here is Sebastian's storyline! Finally! The poor guy get's some of the spotlight. I know it's done before, but this is my take on the abusive Smythe patriarch. Thoughts? Suggestions? I want to follow this through and go a little more into Sebastian's insecurities with his father. How brutal should this guy be? Did you like how Sebastian was around him? Too much? Too little? Some feedback on this area would be especially welcome.**

**And finally there was our SeBlaine time at the end. I hope Sebastian didn't come off too much like a wimp. I approached things thinking that Sebastian was kind of on edge all night because of what happened. That combined with him trusting Blaine resulted in the ending scene.**

**Thanks all so much for reviewing, following, and favoriting! I'd like to thank RHatch89, Des, Forever Gleek2000, Chewi.x, Merry Wanderer of the Night, BelaGray, anderpson (icon love!), TheVinah, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, infinitelyophelia, anikiti88, and Aledda for reviewing the last chapters! Hopefully you all got my PM responses. I'd also like to thank StarkidSherlockSlytherin for following the story after last chapter (and everyone else that has from the beginning—Ida Criss, I'm looking at you! My first follower!). And a big thank you to all who have favorited this story. Hopefully, I'm not letting you guys down!**

**Please take a minute or two and write a review/your reactions/answers to some questions. The interaction is probably my favorite thing about writing. I've been able to go back and forth with a few of you and I think it's great! Until next time!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: …I legit have no clue. Give me ideas so I don't procrastinate for a week mumbling I have no idea how to start chapter 10! Ahh!**


	10. Lazy Sunday

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this took so long to get out. It was a combination of life getting busy now that the school year has started up again and just not really having any inspiration to write. I would like to say I am not racist…but Sebastian is…kinda…you'll see what I mean lol. **

oOo

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock **

**Chapter 10: Lazy Sunday**

Blaine's eyes fluttered open when he felt a tingling sensation against his stomach. He squinted in the dark, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. The light from the moon did little to illuminate his surroundings. He was startled when his mind registered the pressure next to him.

It was then that he remembered his night with Sebastian: seeing Mr. Smythe abuse him and then their subsequent heart-to-heart conversation. He saw Sebastian as he rubbed his cheek further into his stomach. The Warbler's fingers began lightly brushing Blaine's skin that had become exposed at some point during their sleep. Blaine couldn't help the small smile that began tugging on his lips or the slight sigh that escaped them.

He leaned back into his pillow and enjoyed the sensation as small tingles traveled through his chest and abdomen. He momentarily thought of Kurt before pushing the thought away. It was innocent and Sebastian wasn't even awake. Where was the harm? The caresses continued and the sensations soon started drifting further south.

Blaine's heart began beating quickly from nerves. Not only was he lying in bed with a boy who wasn't his boyfriend, but his body chose that moment to proudly proclaim that it was enjoying the attention it was receiving.

Blaine moved his arm, hoping to arrange his sheets in order to hide his arousal when his eyes found a pair of green orbs staring back at him. His hand froze mid-movement.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself there Killer."

His voice was low, coarse from its lack of use while sleeping. The slight growling effect made Blaine breathe even harder. He remained motionless, unsure of what to do. His mind and his flesh were screaming out contradictory directions, pleas.

Blaine may not have been fully cognizant of what was happening, but his body was fully aware of what was being done to it. He could see and feel Sebastian's fingers lightly tracing circles around the sensitive area. It was such a simple and small action, but it was delivering waves of pleasure to his body. He could feel his body start to tremble, as Sebastian's fingers started moving lower, following the trail of soft hairs down to the waistband of his shorts.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall backwards into his pillow as the sensations overtook his body. It had been a long time since he had been touched in such a manner. Even when Kurt was in Lima, the majority of their relationship's intimacy was experienced through conversation.

Blaine's breath became more ragged, breaking and then speeding up without warning. He opened his eyes and looked down at the source of his pleasure, those same green eyes.

A small smile came back to his face, to his trembling lips, when he saw that he was still the focus of Sebastian's eyes. They were trained on him when he turned away and they were still awaiting him when he turned back. Blaine's heart warmed at the small, insignificant gesture: this was more than just a middle-of-the-night hook-up.

It was then that Blaine felt a stronger pull on his shorts. He looked down at his garment, then back at Sebastian, the silent question in the other boy's eyes. Blaine nodded his head and then stopped breathing when he felt the fabric being pulled away from his body. A small part of him knew this was wrong, but he could care less about that small voice in his head as his body was screaming for more. He felt the coolness of the night air surround his legs as he was left fully exposed. Any insecurities of being on display were short lived as he saw Sebastian's mouth descend onto him.

Warmth.

Wetness.

Blaine's head flew backwards again and slammed into his pillow. A low groan escaped his mouth as his hands desperately grabbed at the sheets beneath him. He opened his eyes and looked back down at Sebastian, melting at the sight of his green eyes, once again never leaving him.

"Sebast…"

Blaine was unable to even finish the name before whimpers interrupted his attempt. It was as if his body was on fire. He could feel the small droplets of sweat forming on his brow as his hips began thrusting further and quicker into the warmth of Sebastian's mouth.

Blaine could feel himself reaching the edge as he felt Sebastian's hands rubbing up and down his chest and stomach. He could feel his eyes go unfocused as his entire body tensed.

Just as he thought his body would explode, his felt a finger dragging itself from Sebastian's mouth and moving lower…

oOo

Blaine opened his eyes as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He blinked as he looked around his room. His breathing was still coming hard as he began to recall the events of his dream. He could feel his cheeks grow red as the dream flashed through his mind. He looked down and scowled as he saw that his cheeks weren't the only part of his body that were affected by the dream.

He turned his head to look at the emptiness next to him in his bed. He was initially glad that Sebastian wasn't there to witness him falling victim to his own teenage hormones. He could only imagine the days, possibly weeks, of endless torture and teasing that he would have had to endure at the hands of Sebastian Smythe. His smile appeared as he imagined the witty remarks that would spew out of the boy's mouth.

His mouth…

Blaine's thoughts were brought back to his dream. The smile on his face was slowly replaced by a frown.

Sebastian was gone. Why was he gone? Why wasn't he lying next to him? Where was he?

Blaine started looking around his room for signs that his friend had left. He was comforted when he saw that Sebastian's clothes were still lying all around his room. He was confused as to how Sebastian could create such a mess with so few articles of clothing. How was it possible for his clothes to be positioned all around the room? Blaine walked over and picked up the boy's shirt. He turned and saw a sock in the opposite corner of the room. Did Sebastian battle a Crumple-Horned Snorkack while changing?

His head snapped towards his door when he heard a crash ringing through the halls followed by a muffled voice. Blaine smiled. While he couldn't hear what was being said, he could certainly imagine the string of four-lettered words that were probably flying out of his friend's mouth. He dropped the shirt back onto the chair it had been draped over.

As he walked down the hallway, he immediately froze when he passed by a mirror. He turned his head to stare at his reflection, at the hideous beast that stared back at him and cursed as he ran desperately back towards his bathroom to tame his hair, the hair that Sebastian had surely seen when he had woken up.

Blaine cringed and cursed his parents for giving him his unruly, curly hair. Sections of it were matted down while others had broken free from their gel-fortified prisons and were puffing up at random spots around his head. Coupled with the sweat from his dreams, Blaine looked like a genuine drug addict. Clearly all he was missing were some needle tracks on his arms and a Courtney Love soundtrack playing in the background.

He patted down some sections while teasing others. He gave up after five minutes of attempting to rectify the "situation" that was his bed head. It wasn't completely horrible, but it wasn't exactly an attractive look. Why couldn't he be one of those guys who woke up with that perfect hairstyle? His natural afro had always been a source of insecurity. Blaine grimaced as he took one last look before putting his toothbrush back in its holder and walking back down the hall.

As he entered his kitchen, he was shocked to see Sebastian putting plates of food on the island counter in front of two of the stools. Seeing Sebastian Smythe serving dinner was a sight that Blaine didn't think he'd ever live to see. Seeing a shirtless Sebastian Smythe serving food seemed more like the beginning scene of a porno video than anything from real life.

He also saw the pile of Tupperware containers sprawled across the floor, most likely the source of the earlier crash. He smiled as Sebastian spotted him. The boy smiled, but then seemed to remember the mess he made. He watched Sebastian's eyes shoot over to the Tupperware on the floor before returning to him.

"I was going to clean it up, but…"

Blaine smirked as he finished Sebastian's sentence: "…you couldn't lower yourself to the level of a maid or butler?"

Sebastian smiled as his pulled his body up to its fullest height. "Isn't that why they invented immigrants?"

Blaine couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips. He shook his head at his friend.

"I shouldn't be laughing at that. It's racist and offensive." Blaine was sure the message of his words would have been far more impactful if they weren't delivered with a smile.

Sebastian smiled as he replied, "I'm kidding. Loosen up Anderson. Besides, I was raised by nannies from all over the world."

"Kidding at others' expense," Blaine corrected. "Really? How come so many?"

"Apparently it was a difficult environment to work in," Sebastian shrugged. "Maybe the baby was a brat or something."

Blaine laughed as Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows.

"So what's with the food Rachel Ray? I didn't know you could cook." Blaine walked over and sat down in front of one of the plates. He also noticed how the rest of the island was covered with plates of eggs, bacon, sausages, fruit, toast, and a few other breakfast items.

"Wait," Blaine said as his eyes shot over to his sink, "you could clean all the dishes it took to make this but you couldn't pick up Tupperwear?"

Sebastian laughed as he walked over and slid onto the stool next to Blaine. Blaine tensed as he felt the warmth radiating from Sebastian's body.

Sebastian's lack of a shirt had taken its effect on Blaine, and the events of his dream came flooding back into his memory. He did his best to quell the blushing that was surely evident on his face.

"Do these hands look like they've ever washed a dish in their life?" Sebastian asked as he held his hands up. "I didn't cook this, though I appreciate the vote of confidence in my ability to pull this off." He smiled as he began chewing on some eggs.

"So if you didn't cook any of this, how did—"

"The called the diner a few blocks away and had them deliver the food." Sebastian chewed his food before continuing. "I was hungry when I woke up. I was going to wake you so you could cook us something, but you looked very…happy sleeping, so I thought I'd get us food."

Blaine smiled. Who said Sebastian Smythe couldn't be sweet and caring?

"Besides, you look pretty scary in the morning with your crack-head hair and the dry drool on your cheek."

Blaine wished the ground would open up at that very moment and swallow him whole. He could feel his face turn beet red as he looked down and desperately tried to think of something to do or say to change the subject. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a soft chuckle.

"I'm just teasing you Anderson." Sebastian popped a piece of bacon into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed before continuing, "Well…sort of, but you somehow make 'crack head' look cute."

Blaine grew even more embarrassed. He decided shoving food into his mouth was probably a good idea. A person can't talk with a mouth full of food. It then became his mission to perpetually have food in his mouth until the subject had changed.

A few minutes passed. Blaine soon grew less frantic and started to relax. He looked over and watched as Sebastian absentmindedly chewed on another piece of bacon. Suddenly, Blaine started looking around his kitchen and realized that things weren't making sense.

"Sebastian," he started, "how did you know about the dine—"

"Siri," Sebastian replied as he picked up his phone and shook it slightly.

"But that dine—"

"They told me they didn't deliver when he I called, but I just took that as a personal challenge to help them see that their current policies weren't exactly the most convenient for willing and paying customers."

"How did you—"

"Money."

Blaine looked at Sebastian, at the sly smirk that was once again on his lips. He smiled and shook his head.

"How much did you have to pay them to deliver this food?" Blaine asked as he took a bite of his toast. "And please don't tell me you ordered toast."

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders again. "I don't know how to make toast."

"You don't know how to make toast?"

"What about that statement confuses you? Honestly Anderson, public school has really begun to rot your brain." Sebastian said with an air of offense. "You should have that school checked for mold."

Blaine wasn't so easily distracted. "No…no, no no. You don't get off that easily—"

"That's where you're wrong," Sebastian replied with a wink.

"_What I meant _was" Blaine continued, "how is it possible that you don't know how to make toast?"

"Why are you so stuck on this? It's not like you know how to build a house or something as equally lower class."

Blaine laughed as he responded, "Did you really just compare making toast to building a house?"

"What's the difference?" Sebastian asked as he frowned.

"A simple household appliance that you can buy for under $20." Blaine punctuated his statement by walking over to the toaster sitting on the counter and holding it up for Sebastian to see.

"This is a toaster, Sebastian," he said. "You put sliced break in these two holes and press this button. You then wait for about a minute for the toast to magically spring up from the contraption. When it does that, your toast is then ready to be eaten."

Sebastian was scowling as Blaine finished using a baby voice.

"Clearly that $50 I spent was put to waste as you seem to have woken up on the bitchy side of the bed today." Sebastian glared as he continued speaking. "I'm so glad I let you sleep in. I would be so uneducated without your demonstration on how to use a toaster. If I ever find myself living in West Virginia with a trucker named Bubba, I will surely be in your debt."

Blaine immediately felt bad for his teasing. Sebastian was right. He had been nice enough to let Blaine sleep. He went to the trouble of finding them food and paying extra to have to it delivered. And here Blaine was, making fun of him. He put the toaster down and walked over to his friend.

"You're right," he said as he tried to use his most potent puppy-dog look. "I'm sorry. What you did was incredibly sweet and thoughtful, and I'm just standing here making fun of you."

He watched as Sebastian seemed unimpressed at his apology. Blaine thought for a way to make it up to the Warbler when Sebastian turned back to his plate, the scowl still on his face.

He didn't know why, but it was suddenly very important to him to make Sebastian smile again. He smiled as a thought came to him. He winced as he hesitated before putting his fingers on his scalp and shaking them vigorously. He watched as Sebastian turned to face him once more.

Blaine stood there with a smile, silently asking for a truce.

"Crack head hair?"

Blaine smiled as he shrugged his shoulders.

Sebastian smiled. "Do you really thinking giving yourself crack-head hair will make everything ok?"

Blaine shrugged his shoulders once more and hoped for the best. He felt infinitely lighter and happier when Sebastian laughed and offered him another piece of toast.

The two boys sat at the island counter and ate and talked. They stayed away from the heavy topics of Kurt and Sebastian's father. It was as if they made a silent pack to not address the sources of stress in their lives. It was just a lazy Sunday morning for the two teenagers as they sat eating breakfast. The fly on the wall would surely be jealous of the easiness of their conversation and relationship.

"So what do you want to do today?" Blaine asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're staying with me tonight, aren't you?"

Blaine remembered Mr. Smythe's words about not wanting his son back in their house until Monday.

"Oh," Sebastian's smile faltered, "no. Thanks, but I can find a place tonight. Don't worry about it Blaine."

Blaine offered him a lopsided smile before responding: "Clearly you don't know me as well as I thought you did. I'm a worrier. I worry. It's what I do. Besides, you're clearly in need of a cooking lesson, I happen to have a gourmet kitchen, we need to eat dinner at some point, and we still have more Gossip Girl episodes to watch."

oOo

Sebastian tried his best to downplay the smile that was fighting to break free on his lips. How long had he waited to have this with the shorter boy? How long had he watched Blaine's ridiculously "cutesy" relationship with Kurt and wished to replace the fashion abusing he-she? Sure, fucking Blaine's body into complete exhaustion was another fantastic option, but these sorts of moments were also pretty attractive.

His mind went back to the reason for his being there. He was there because Blaine saw how his dad treated him. This was just a pity date. He frowned. Did Blaine really want him there, or was this just his hero complex coming out? Sebastian Smythe was many things, but he was no one's charity case.

"Look, you don't have to pretend to—" but Blaine cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"How many times do I have to say it before you finally believe me?" Blaine asked as he grabbed on of Sebastian's hands. "I want you here Sebastian. This isn't me feeling sorry for you. This isn't me treating you like some invalid who can't take care of himself. This is just a guy asking his…" Sebastian's heart stopped when Blaine paused, "his friend to spend the day with him, cook some spaghetti, and maybe watch some CW television afterwards."

Sebastian could feel his tongue caught in his mouth. He tried to say something, but it seemed as though words were beyond his capabilities at that moment.

Blaine's eyes.

He was paralyzed by them. There was something in those hazel pools that assured him that he, Sebastian Smythe, was most definitely wanted in that house. He didn't even notice the smile that claimed its place on his mouth. It was soon followed by a nervous chuckle and a ducking of the head.

When did he become such a pansy?

Sebastian immediately straightened his back and pulled out his signature smirk.

"Fine, I suppose it would be a bit rude of me to let you beg like this." His heart warmed at the beaming smile that responded to his statement. He hid his excitement of course; after all, he _was_ Sebastian Smythe. Despite the fact that this was Blaine, he still didn't feel completely comfortable being so mushy. Sarcasm and insults were his comfort zone. His proverbial 'safety blanket'.

"And speaking of rude," Sebastian pointed with the piece of back that he held in his hand, "you should really go do something about that hair."

He smiled as Blaine once again turned red.

"I feel like it's looking at me." He laughed as Blaine immediately turned around and retreated out of the room. Sebastian called out after him, "Cheer up Anderson! It was just an excuse to watch you walk out of the room. I love an ass in athletic shorts!"

oOo

As Blaine walked down the hall, he heard his phone ringing in his room. He quickened his steps to retrieve the small device. He froze where he stood when he saw the name and picture on the screen: _Kurt_.

He really didn't want to answer the phone. The day was already going so well (drug-influenced hair insults included), but he also knew that ignoring his boyfriend's phone call was probably not the best thing to do, especially when you had a shirtless boy in your kitchen (especially when you had a sex dream about said shirtless boy).

"Hi."

"Oh, Hi Blaine…" Kurt's voice trailed off.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Blaine asked as he sat down on his chair. "You sound surprised that it was me."

"Oh no," Kurt replied hurriedly, then seemed to pause as if unsure of how to continue, "I just didn't know if you'd want to pick up my call."

There was an awkward pause as both boys sat silently, trying to think of something to say while waiting for the other to speak.

"So," Blaine began, "umm…was there a reason that you called?"

He grimaced as he realized how rude his words could be interpreted. "I mean, not that you need a reason to call. I just…didn't know if you had a…specific reason for calling this morning."

That sounded lame.

"No, I just wanted to say hi and see how your weekend went…is going, I guess I should say." Kurt's words were accompanied with a forced laugh that reeked of discomfort.

Blaine looked at the door, thinking of his fr…of Sebastian downstairs in the kitchen. His mind wandered back to the boy on the other end of the line: his boyfriend, the one who he was supposed to be missing.

"It's going well. Just spending some time with friends. You know," he added, "nothing too fancy. How about yourself? How is…" he paused as he willed himself to say the name, "how is Kelly doing?"

"It's been fantastic, Blaine!" he could hear the excitement in Kurt's voice. "Last night we were—"

"Blaine! Have you seen my pants or shirt anywhere? As much as you enjoy seeing the perfection that is my body, I should probably put some clothes back on."

Blaine stopped breathing as he watched Sebastian walk into the room. The Warbler had yelled his question as he walked down the hall. There was no way in the world that Kurt hadn't heard him. But maybe he was just being pessimistic. Maybe Kurt hadn't heard—

"Who is that?"

Blaine panicked as he looked at Sebastian, pleaded for him to help him. The only help he received was an expectant look.

"Hold on for a second," Blaine said as he stood up and handed Sebastian the pair of pants that he had been sitting on. Sebastian smiled his thanks and walked over to look for his shirt.

"Blaine?"

"It's…that…it's not what it sounds like?" He winced as he once again heard his own words. When did that statement ever precede the truth? The hard part was that it really _wasn't_ what it sounded like.

"Is that Sebastian, Blaine?" The question came out slow, as if Kurt didn't really want to ask it.

"…yeah. It's…it's Sebastian." He looked up and saw the other boy turn around slowly and look at him. The smirk that had once been on Sebastian's lips was now absent.

"Kurt?" the boy mouthed at Blaine. When he nodded, he looked at Sebastian and tilted his head, asking for some privacy.

Sebastian obliged as he walked back towards the door, his pants still in his hand. He stopped and turned around. "Hi Hummel. I was just joking with your boyfriend. See if you can pull that stick out of his ass. He's glaring at me right now!"

Blaine shot Sebastian a look of death: was now really the time to make jokes? But then the other boys' words hit him and he saw the wink before the boy turned and walked out of the room.

"Why in the world would he think _anyone_ would find that funny? As if you would ever even _look_ at him like that!" Kurt exploded. "It's beyond me why you even talk to that conceited Abercrombie wannabe!"

Blaine sighed in relief. Sebastian had given Kurt someone else to be angry with. This was the second time he had sacrificed himself to spare Blaine.

"Why is he there anyway? It's barely 10:30 over there."

Blaine wanted to tell him the truth, that Sebastian had spent the night because his father was an abusive parent who felt that it was ok to kick his son out of the house for the weekend. He wanted to say this, but he knew that Sebastian would never forgive him if he even alluded to the truth, especially to Kurt.

"He…" Blaine tried to think of a reason, anything, to say that might explain Sebastian's presence. "…he came over because we are going to hang out today and he thought an early start might be a good idea."

He waited for Kurt's response.

"Just be careful Blaine. It's not like Sebastian is ever completely upfront with his intentions."

"You don't have to worry, Kurt." That was a lie.

"I'm not worried, I just worry that you'll have to spend the entire day being sexually harassed by someone who looks like a Twilight extra."

"Sebastian doesn't sexually harass me." That was another lie. Things were not looking well for Blaine in the "honesty department."

"Isn't Tina or Nick or Jeff free today? " Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Blaine responded, slightly annoyed. "I haven't talked to them."

"I just think you'd have more fun with them than with Sebastian."

Blaine frowned as he responded: "Since when were you concerned who I spent my time with?"

"Well, I think I have a right to voice my concerns when my boyfriend is spending time with the spawn of Satan's horny cousin," Kurt replied with equal levels of annoyance in his voice.

"You make these accusations like you even know him, Kurt. Sebastian isn't the person you think he is." Blaine was used to letting Kurt ramble on and on about how awful a person Sebastian was, but now it was different. Now he felt like his friend was being attacked, and Blaine was never one to let others insult his friends.

"I don't have to know him. I've seen him rape you with his eyes plenty of times to know what he's thinking when he's around you," Kurt bit back.

"It's just innocent joking, Kurt."

"You're awfully quick to defend him all of a sudden."

Blaine responded before even thinking: "Yeah, well I could say the same about you and Kelly!"

There was a silence as both boys became aware of their conversation and what they were saying. A simple conversation had slowly turned into the War of the Roses. Kurt was the first to speak.

"You're still angry about that," was all he said.

Blaine sighed as he leaned back in the chair. "I guess I am."

"How did we get like this, Blaine?"

There was a loaded question if there ever was one. The state of their relationship could be attributed to so many different things. Blame could be placed on both their shoulders. Kurt had been the first to pull away from the relationship, but Blaine had been the one who threw himself at the one person in the world that his boyfriend hated the most. No one was blameless in the effort.

"I don't know."

Blaine's empty words sat in between the two. That's what was separating them: words and distance.

"I know it's only a few weeks away, but I hate that we have to wait until Thanksgiving to talk face to face."

Blaine agreed with Kurt's statement. This was definitely a problem that only grew as time passed. He chewed his lip as a thought crossed his mind.

"Maybe we don't have to," he said.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"I could come out next weekend. I have a half-day on Friday. I could fly out," Blaine offered. If he was being completely honest, he really didn't want to fly out to New York. While he loved the city, he knew that flying out meant seeing Kurt. He knew that seeing Kurt meant talking about their relationship. Despite how unhappy he'd been for months, Blaine still loved Kurt; he was Blaine's first love, and therefore held a special place in Blaine's heart.

"I can't ask you to do that," Kurt said after a long pause.

"You're not. And you're right. We…we have a lot to talk about and it shouldn't wait until Thanksgiving."

Another pause.

"So next week?"

Blaine forced out his response: "Yeah, next week."

This was wrong. They were planning a trip for Blaine to come see him. They hadn't seen each other in months, hadn't talked very much either. They should be happy. They should be excited and bouncing off the walls. Blaine should be ecstatic and dragging Tina to the mall so he could buy new clothes for the trip. Instead, he just sat dejectedly in his chair. There was no excitement. No bouncing.

The two talked for another few minutes before ending their call. Blaine looked up as Sebastian entered the room.

"I'm sorry Blaine," he said as he walked over and sat on the bed, still holding onto his pants. "I honestly didn't mean to mess things up for you."

Blaine smiled and turned his head to face the boy. "You didn't ruin anything that wasn't already messed up."

"Actually," Blaine continued, "you helped, if anything. Thanks. That's two times now you've come to my rescue."

"You're Superman," Sebastian said as he stood up, flexed his muscles, and posed with his hands on his hips.

Blaine couldn't help but laugh at Sebastian's attempt at cheering him up. "You're just missing the tights."

"I'd look good in tights," came the smug response.

"Yeah, you wouldn't look gay at all," Blaine answered with another laugh.

"Says the boy known for wearing chinos, suspenders, and bow ties."

Blaine shook his head in defeat: "Touché."

He stood up and walked over to the bathroom connected to his room. Before closing the door, he turned around and gestured to his closet. "Feel free to pick out any clothes to wear."

Sebastian laughed as he stood up and again resumed looking for his shirt. "Your clothes are tight on you. What makes you think they'll fit me? Take your shower and wash your hair Robert Downey, Jr. You're taking me to the mall so I can get some clothes to wear today."

oOo

The two spend the rest of the morning and their afternoon at the mall. Sebastian picked out some clothes to wear. As they wandered through the crowds, Blaine found himself thinking less and less about his conversation with Kurt. Before he knew it, Blaine was laughing at Sebastian's conceited comments. He blushed slightly when the girl ringing him up commented on how cute he and his boyfriend were.

The two then made their way over to the grocery story to buy supplies for Sebastian's first lesson in cooking. It ended up turning into Sebastian's first lesson in grocery shopping. Blaine was beyond amused as Sebastian walked from aisle to aisle, commenting on how much food there was. Apparently growing up in the Smythe household meant that one never had to set foot in "the help's store," as Sebastian put it.

The cooking lesson and subsequent dinner went without incident. It had taken a few attempts, but Sebastian was finally able to boil the water for their pasta. If you asked Sebastian, he would insist that Blaine's stove was at fault. By the time they sat down to eat their meal, Blaine had completely forgotten about his phone conversation from earlier in the day. All he knew was that he was having one of the best weekends in a very long time.

The two found themselves yawning. They dropped their dishes off in the sinking before climbing the stairs and changing into their pajamas.

Blaine walked over to the corner of his room and grabbed one of the bags from their shopping at the mall and pulled out some clothes. He went over to his closet and walked in as he began hanging up the clothes.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked.

"Hanging up your clothes," Blaine responded as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.

Blaine watched as Sebastian looked closely at the clothes.

"While I commend you on your improved fashion taste, those aren't my clothes." The response came in a slightly confused tone of voice.

"I know," answered as he continued hanging up the clothes, "I got these in the third store while you were looking at the sunglasses. I remembered your sizes and I figured you'd need a set of clothes to change into the next time you spend the night. You shouldn't have to go to the mall every time you come over."

There was an implied offer in his words. Blaine hoped Sebastian wouldn't be insulted. The two had grown very close over the course of the first part of their senior year, especially over the past few days. He wanted Sebastian to spend his time at the Anderson household when his dad was in town. He liked having Sebastian around. He liked eating breakfast with him. He liked showing him how to cook. He liked watching TV with him. He liked waking up next to him.

That last thought froze him in his spot as he walked back towards the bed.

"You ok?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah," Blaine smiled as he turned the light off and crawled into the bed. He could sense Sebastian's discomfort.

In that moment, both boys knew what they wanted to reach out to the other. They knew that they wanted to wrap their arms around the other and bask in their shared warmth, but they also knew that there was a third person in that bed with them, despite being hundreds of miles away in New York City.

As they drifted off to sleep, neither one noticed as they subconsciously reached out to one another. They would discover their interlinked bodies in the morning.

oOo

Blaine passed the next week at school keeping busy with homework and Glee club. He had hoped for a slow, tedious week, something to keep him distracted from his quickly approaching trip. He faked a smile every time that Tina or the others brought it up, but on the inside, he was trying to think of any and every excuse to back out.

Before he knew it, he was waving goodbye as Tina's car drove away. He sighed, picked up his bag, and walked into the airport.

oOo

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I love how I thought "Hey, I'll just write a quick little chapter before bed…" and then that turned into a 6,000+ word chapter. Me and my inability to be brief. Oh well…but yeah, sorry this took so long. I was honestly stumped as to what to put in this. I knew I needed an in-between chapter before I sent Blaine off to NYC, but I didn't know what would be in it. **

**Thank you so much to all who reviewed last chapter!: Merry Wanderer of the Night, Forever Gleek2000, RHatch89, Jessie05.12, brittana5, JAX001993, TheVinah, anikiti88, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, infintelyophelia, Caleb, Des, and theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin. Also "Thank you's" go out to Courtney77, Gwendo16, LatinaLovely, hotch0colate (awesome name, PS), pennyandthequarters, and theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin for following my story. And finally, thank you hotch0colate and theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin for favoriting the story!**

**And a special thanks to Caleb and theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin for providing the inspiration for this chapter. I was at a loss for what to write, but I found myself with the challenge of having Sebastian and Blaine have sex in addition to Kurt being jealous. This is what I came up with. Also, Aledda, I was able to include your mall idea! See guys!? I do my best to throw in the stuff that you ask for! :)**

**I hope you all liked the chapter. I'm pretty happy with it, that and it's about midnight and I just want to get to bed, haha. So tell me what you think. Give me your thoughts, concerns, criticisms, and suggestions!**

**(I'm still on the search for a new Title for the fic, PS). **

**Also, I'd like to take this chance to plug a Blam fic (gasp! Yes, a pairing other than your beloved SeBlaine. It's called "A New Reality in Direction" by shanehardy. It's KIND OF a long one (this guy is a hardcore updater), but it's SO worth the time investment. It starts off normal, and then spirals into this crazy soap opera-esque type story (and I mean this in the best way possible) that is totally up my alley. I am addicted to it. Definitely check it out if you haven't already.**

**Thanks so much for reading and supporting, and reviewing! :) Feel free to leave me ideas for future chapters!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The break up is finally here! To all of you who have been begging for this to happen…it's happening! (Haha WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, I got to my break up in less chapters than you did!)**

**P.S. ANDERPSON!? WHERE ARE YOU!? I NEED YOUR ICON IN MY LIFE!**


	11. Arrivals Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I said the break up would happen this chapter, but I started writing and it became a lot longer than I had originally anticipated. I got almost 6k words in and realized that I wasn't even close to where I wanted to end things, so I stopped and picked a spot where I could chop the chapter in half. Here is the chapter. I hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, blah, blah [insert witty joke here]**

**- Glee -**

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**CHAPTER 11: ARRIVALS PART I**

Blaine walked through the halls of the airport, his heart anticipating the reunion that was about to take place. Whether or not it was an eager anticipation or a dreadful one, he still wasn't sure. He and Kurt had shared so much in their short time together. They had laughed and cried, grown into the men they currently were.

He remembered the night the celebrated that Blaine would be attending McKinley. He remembered the night they fought over Chandler and the text messages. He remembered the night that they cried together when Kurt wasn't accepted into NYADA. He remembered how the celebrated when Kurt got his late acceptance letter. He also remembered silently crying along that very same night.

As Blaine turned the corner, his eyes caught a flash of sparkle to his right. His brain, immediately recognizing anything in that realm of fashion, directed his head to turn in that direction. He stopped breathing for a brief moment; not knowing what he'd feel when he locked eyes with his boyfriend. His worry seemed for naught, the loudly sequined jacket belonged to another face and another pair of eyes, not Kurt's. He looked around, there were several people milling about the airport in outfits that Kurt would steal in a second. It seemed as though Kurt finally found a place where his taste in clothes would be welcomed, where he was part of the crowd and not an outsider looking in.

Blaine had been to New York several times before, but this time was different. His approach was different. He wasn't here to take in the culture. He was here to repair a relationship. He was here to get to know the new Kurt. He was here to understand its appeal to Kurt. Blaine knew why he loved New York, but he didn't know why Kurt loved it, not yet.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the pale face slowly walking towards him until it was about three feet away.

"Hi," came the breathy greeting.

Blaine sucked in his breath. What would he say? What could he say to the boy he loved, the one who had brought him just as many smiles as tears? Everything Blaine had rehearsed, every accusation and grievance seemed to fly out the window the moment he looked into Kurt's eyes, that special combination of blue and green that seemed to melt his heart. All the arguments and pain just disappeared in that second. This was Kurt. He was Blaine. It was just that simple.

"Hi Kurt," Blaine smiled as he fought the urge to throw himself forward and latch onto his boyfriend. "Come here."

Two smiles of relief and joy made their entrance into the exchange. Blaine felt so right in that moment. Everything about it was familiar and comforting. He was wrapped in Kurt's arms. He was with Kurt. He was—

His eyes opened. This was different. The smell was wrong. Kurt's cologne was different. He always wore Bleu De Chanel. It was his favorite. This was something different.

"You changed your cologne."

Kurt smiled. Clearly he thought that the statement was a compliment.

"I did. I was out shopping one day and my friend Carrie said I should try something new. What do you think? It's Armani." His voice changed, adding a flourish to the word "Armani."

"I…" Blaine's voice trailed off. He was being ridiculous. So Kurt changed the cologne he word. What was the big deal? It wasn't as if he'd run off and became a Republican.

"I like it. It's very…New York Kurt."

Kurt's smile grew even bigger. Blaine loved that smile, the way that his light lit up. His smile was entirely a Kurt Hummel smile.

"I'm really glad I cam. I think I really needed this." The tone of the conversation changed as Blaine locked eyes with the boy in front of him. "…I think we needed this."

Kurt's smile remained on his face, but also changed. It wasn't a joyous smile anymore. It was a smile of resignation, of admittance. They were a couple in danger, a couple desperately trying to hold onto their relationship and mend its wounds.

"Me too," came the simple reply.

Blaine walked alongside Kurt as the maneuvered their way through the building. Kurt went on and on about his life, updating Blaine on the gossip at NYADA and filling him in on the adventures that he so commonly now found himself in.

The more he talked, the more real this new Kurt became. Blaine smiled to himself as he got to know the new Kurt Hummel. It was a strange bit of information for his brain to process. Kurt looked the same. He sounded the same. He still hid his teeth when he smiled and shot dirty looks to people who insisted on wearing sweat pants in public ("If I take the time to make myself presentable to the public, so should they!"). To the casual observer, Kurt Hummel was the same person he'd always been. But Blaine knew better. He knew that Kurt seemed to stand a little taller. Despite his display of confidence and high self-esteem, he knew that Kurt had always been insecure, always doubting himself and forcing himself to be more self-assured than he actually was. This new Kurt commanded an air of confidence that Blaine had never seen before. It was as if Kurt had finally learned a secret and proudly walked around with it.

The realization brought a smile to Blaine's face. He had always believed in Kurt more than Kurt had. He always knew that Kurt would make it in New York City. He always knew that Kurt would find success. Sure Kurt had dreamed it, but he never truly believed it like Blaine had. It now seemed as though Kurt believed in himself the way Blaine always had.

"So how are things back in Lima?" Kurt asked as the two sat on the C train, waiting for their stop.

"They're good," Blaine responded with a smile, thinking about all that had transpired over the last few months. "I'm keeping busy with school, friends, and glee club."

He turned to look at Kurt and noticed the look on his face. Blaine knew that look. He also knew the person who always inspired that look: Sebastian. He could see Kurt struggling to decide on whether or not to ask the next question.

"Staying busy with Sebastian?"

"Kurt—" Blaine's voice carried a warning.

"No really" Kurt defended with his arms raised in surrender, "I'm just curious. For some ridiculous reason you consider him your friend. And while I still maintain that a person should have their shots before coming into contact with him, I want to support your friendship with him. So how is he doing?"

Blaine regarded Kurt carefully. "You really want to know how he's doing?"

"Yes," Kurt said as he looked down and played with the hem of his coat. "What's he been up to? Has he blinded anyone else or contracted any new STD's since he I last saw him?"

Blaine immediately jumped to his friend's defense. Why was it so hard for people to forgive Sebastian for something that had happened to _him_? They weren't the ones who had needed surgery. They weren't the ones who had felt the pain. It was Blaine. Blaine was the one who went to the hospital and Blaine was the one who had already forgiven Sebastian.

"Stop it Kurt," Blaine reprimanded. "Sebastian is my friend. I've already forgiven for what he's done and I know that he still feels horrible for it. He's been nothing but nice and regretful since that day. He's been an amazing friend and has helped me through some difficult times since you've left." The last sentence held a tiny accusation in it. Blaine watched as Kurt's face registered the intended message. "If you don't like him that's fine, but I don't want to hear anything negative about him from you or anyone else."

He could see the hurt and confusion on his face. It was to be expected. Sure, Kurt knew that he and Sebastian were friends, but he didn't know all they had gone through since the beginning of the school year. He didn't know about all textversations they had shared. He didn't know about the night at Scandals, about the kiss that almost was. He didn't know about Sebastian's father or the nights they spent in the same bed. He didn't know how safe Blaine felt with Sebastian's arms around him. He didn't know the carefree smile that Blaine could coax out of Sebastian. To Kurt, Blaine was just overreacting.

"I'm sorry," came Kurt's reply after a few seconds of hesitance. The words were separated by confusion.

"I just…" Blaine tried to explain, "I get it Kurt. I really do, but I just…let's not make this weekend about him. He's hundreds of miles away right now. I didn't come to New York to talk about Sebastian. I came to be with you."

He pleaded with his eyes as he looked at Kurt, hoping that they could change subjects.

"You're right," Kurt admitted as he smiled and grabbed Blaine's right hand. "No Sebastian, just us."

"Kurt and Blaine against the world, like it used to be," Blaine said as he squeezed his boyfriend's hand.

Kurt's smile grew larger. "Yeah, just Kurt and…Sarah!"

Blaine turned around and saw a pretty blonde girl turn her head and smile in their direction. She had a friendly face and an eclectic style about her. As she stood up, she moved with a grace that was not commonly seen. If Kurt knew her, then it was probably safe to assume that they went to school together, and if she went to NYADA, then it probably meant one thing: dancer.

"Hey there Stranger. We missed you at the party last night. Where'd you and Kelly wander off to?" Sarah, apparently, asked as he sat down across from Kurt, oblivious to Blaine's existence.

Blaine saw Kurt quickly shoot him a worried look before answering: "Oh, I just got a headache. I think the music was too loud for me. Kelly offered to walk back to my dorm with me."

"Mhmm," Sarah said was a knowing smile that Blaine did not like. "I bet he did."

"Sarah," Kurt said as he once again took hold of the hand that he had let go of a few seconds earlier, "I'd like you to meet Blaine, my boyfriend."

As much as Blaine wanted to ask Sarah and Kurt to explain the second conversation that was clearly taking place below the surface of their words, he knew that the meeting with Kurt's friend was probably not the best time. Instead, Blaine plastered the Anderson smile on his face as he pulled his hand out of Kurt's and reached across the aisle.

"It's nice to meet one of Kurt's friends. You're actually the first I've met."

He saw the look she and Kurt shared before she reached out and took his hand.

"Sorry about that Kelly joke earlier, Kurt has been behaving himself." Sarah apologized. "So you're the infamous Blaine!"

"I'm infamous?"

"Of course! Kurt talks about you so much. I feel like I could freak you out with all the different stories I've heard about you. I'm not a stalker, I promise." The statement was made with a friendly smile that put Blaine at ease. There was a charm about Sarah that made it easy for him to see why Kurt considered her a friend.

"Well, I'll do my best not to be frightened."

Blaine spent the next few minutes listening to Sarah and Kurt go back and forth. Part of him was amused at their antics and banter as their words flew back and forth with a rapidness that any Gilmore Girls rerun would be proud of. The other part felt a little annoyed and hurt that he had been forced to take a back seat in the conversation due to his lack of knowledge of the happenings at NYADA.

"Oh no," Sarah stopped and looked at Blaine, "I'm such a bitch. I stole your boyfriend and didn't even include you in the conversation." She smiled as she leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees.

"So is this your first time here in New York, Blaine?"

"Oh no, not at all," Blaine smiled as he answered her question. "No, my family has a place in the city. We've been coming up for weekends and vacations since I was a kid. I've been obsessed with Broadway ever since I was a little. My dad was always a fan of the symphony and my mom has been a member of the Met for forever."

"Wow, sounds like you bagged yourself a trust fund here, Kurt."

Blaine blushed as Sarah winked at him. He hated being looked at as "the rich kid." One of the reasons why he liked Dalton so much was that almost every student, because every private school still had their scholarship students, there had a similar background.

"More like he was lucky enough to land a Congressman's son," Kurt replied as he squeezed Blaine's hand comfortingly. Kurt knew Blaine didn't like his parent's wealth being a topic of conversation.

Blaine smiled his thank you and the three continued their journey towards the NYADA dorms. When they got off the train, Blaine had hoped that Sarah would leave them so they could enjoy the other's company. Unfortunately, Kurt invited her to join them on their walk back to his room.

Did Blaine like Sarah? Yes. Did he want to get to know her better? Of course, but this weekend was a time for him and Kurt to fix what had been broken over the course of the past few months, not a time to become buddy-buddy with Kurt's New York friends.

Once they reached Kurt's floor and the elevator doors opened, Blaine was once again annoyed to see Sarah follow them into the hallway. His annoyance level went up even further when they bumped into some more friends. By the time they reached Kurt's door, Blaine was sharing him with Sarah, Kyle, Antwon, and Joshua.

The six teens walked into the room. While the other five made themselves comfortable, Blaine took a second to look around the room. He took in his surroundings, the surroundings that Kurt inhabited daily. He walked over to the desk and picked up the different photo frames that were placed there. There was one of him and his friends. He recognized Joshua and Kyle as some of the faces in the picture. Another photo was taken at what Blaine supposed was a rehearsal for some sort of show. There was another picture of the New Directions, taken right after they were named national champions.

Blaine frowned. There were no photos of him. Sure, he was in the group photo with the rest of New Directions, but so was Sugar. Blaine looked around the room to see multiple frames hanging all over the walls. He moved from one to another. He could see himself in a few more photos, but there were none of just him or him with Kurt. He was on the verge of a Mercedes Jones freak out when he spotted a single frame sitting on Kurt's nightstand, next to his bed. He quietly walked over to it, trying not to disturb the conversation that the other five inhabitants were having, and picked it up.

He felt his face go flush with anger as he looked at a very happy Kurt and Kelly. They were posing in front of a poster for The Producers. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Yelling in front of a group of strangers was never a good idea. He gently placed the photo frame back on the surface and sat down on what he assumed was Kurt's roommate's bed on the other side of the room.

Why weren't there any pictures of him? It's not as if Kurt needed a shrine dedicated to him, but there should be at least _one_ "couple" picture in there. Was that unreasonable? Blaine turned the question over in his head. Maybe it wasn't necessary. All Kurt's friends had recognized his name immediately. Sarah had called him infamous. It wasn't as if Kurt was hiding him. Did he really need some silly picture featured in Kurt's room? Blaine chewed his lip as he looked at the back of the frame containing Kurt and Kelly's picture. He was overreacting. His feelings, they were silly. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard his name. Turning to the other people in the room, he noticed that they were all looking at him with an amused smile.

"I'm sorry, I think I spaced out for a second." He laughed at his own mistake. "Did you ask me something?"

"I just asked how long you were in town," Antwon repeated as he laughed and shared a look with Kurt.

"Oh, I'm here until Sunday evening. I have a 7 o'clock flight," Blaine responded.

"Oh, gotta get back to school?" Kyle asked as he leaned back.

"Yes, unfortunately. Not all of us are lucky enough to have late classes on Mondays." Blaine smiled and was once again reminded that he was not part of this world. On Monday, he would return to high school.

"Morning classes are the worst," Sarah agreed. "So what school are you going to? Kurt never told us."

"I go to McKinley."

"Is that a college or university? I've never heard of it. It must be one of those small, private schools."

It was then that Blaine realized that all these people thought he was in college. Despite being infamous and always being talked about, Kurt had never told them that his boyfriend was still a high schooler. Looking over at Kurt confirmed his suspicion. Kurt's face became flush and he looked down, not making eye contact with Blaine.

"No, it's neither. I'm still in high school. I won't be joining the club until next Fall." Blaine hoped his small joke would hide the fact that he was incredibly embarrassed at being a reason for shame. His answer surprised the group because he could see them all react differently. Sarah looked confused, Kyle looked like he was trying to hold back his laughter, Antwon seemed as though he was trying to think of something to say and Joshua suddenly wore a very patronizing expression on his face. It was Joshua, unfortunately, who was the first to find his voice.

"Oh, well that's ok. You don't seem like a high schooler, so that's good."

Blaine knew that the boy meant well, or at least hoped he did, but there was something about his expression and tone that rubbed him the wrong way. He knew he should have let it be, but it seemed as though this trip had only been one small annoyance after another. They were starting to add up.

"I'm sorry," Blaine leaned towards Joshua, all the while refusing to break eye contact, "I don't think I quite understand what you mean by that."

"Well," there was that patronizing tone again, "you know how high schoolers are. You go to school with them. They can be incredibly immature. But you don't seem like that, so it's all good."

Again, Blaine couldn't let things go.

"Thank you, I suppose I must have received my maturity growth spurt a year early."

Blaine could see the other four people shifting around uncomfortably. He looked over at Kurt, waiting for him to come to his defense and tell this Joshua guy that he was being very rude and condescending.

Nothing.

Kurt sat there, looking at him with pleading eyes. Blaine knew what they were asking. They were asking him to stop. They were asking him to let it go.

"So…" Sarah said as she got up from her spot on the bed, "how about Joshua stops being a dick, apologizes, and we do something that doesn't involve sitting inside. I'm bored."

Joshua looked at her, looked at Blaine, and then looked back at Sarah. A look of realization came over him. "Did I do the whole asshole thing again?" he asked as he turned to look at Blaine.

Sarah walked over and sat down next to Blaine. "He tends to be a bit of a dick sometimes. He's harmless really, it's just that he doesn't realize that he comes off prissy. We think he might have Tourettes."

Blaine turned to look at Joshua once more when he started speaking. "Yeah, she's right. Sorry man."

It was water under the bridge as far as Blaine was concerned. The offense was unintentional, and even if it wasn't, it wasn't that big of a deal. He apologized for his own reaction and assured Joshua that there were no bed feelings. What really bothered Blaine was that Sarah had been the one to step in and remedy the situation. It wasn't her job to defend Blaine. Kurt should have said something.

The conversation went back to normal in the room. The group laughed and Blaine felt like he was being included. Antwon was doing his best to explain who people were and what everyone was talking about. The air of superiority had left Joshua for the most part. Sarah was friendly and teasing Blaine every few minutes. Kyle had decided that he and Blaine should be best friends and Kurt looked very pleased with how well everyone was getting along.

From the outside, they were a group of happy friends, spending their time in the room, laughing and enjoying their day. Even though they were sitting in the room together, no more than five feet away from each other, Blaine still felt miles away from his boyfriend. Every new story that was shared was another reminder that Kurt's life in New York was still a mystery. It was a life that was forged in Blaine's absence, in his exile.

On the inside, it was a very different story. On the inside, it was a room of five friends and a visitor, unfamiliar with the setting and the characters to the story. He was a stranger at a family gathering.

**- Glee -**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here it is. I'm going to be honest and say that I'm not the biggest fan of this portion of the chapter. This was more setting things up (kind of like Deathly Hollows Pt. 1). I wrote and rewrote this a few different times and was never really satisfied with how things turned out. Hopefully this is ok for some of you. I promise things get better and more interesting with the second part.**

**Thanks to all the reviewers since my last update: FriskyFriar, Athena1440 (who raped my story with reviews, AWESOME!), Des, Kaylen Cooper, TVTime, Caleb, BelaGray, Merry Wanderer of the Night, forgettheworld, RHatch89, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, anderpson (icon), Chewi.x, and Forever Gleek2000.**

**Also a very big thank you to anyone who favorited or started following the story/me: DianaLynn0724, Diasleingod54, Ziataslawa, teenietia, TVTime, Athena1440, Kaylen Cooper, YumeSangai, and FriskyFriar. It's a huge compliment.**

**So theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin suggested that I look at a song as a possible title for the story. I came up with these. What are your thoughts? I created a poll on my author page (I know, isn't that a cool feature? I was impressed by it) if you could take a second and go cast your vote. Here's what I came up with:**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Stuck In A Memory**

**So the next chapter should be up relatively soon, maybe this coming weekend? I'm already a good portion into it. I'm in the middle of a fight between Kurt and Blaine. Blaine just threw a chair…not really. :(**

**Also, go check out "Give Love A Second Change" by divcon. I'm totally into it!**

**So again, please take a second and leave me your thoughts if you can. I always appreciate feedback. Ehh…I'm nervous with this one. It's not my best work. Be gentle!**

…**that's what she said.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The rest of the NYC Trip and the ~dramatic~ break up. Stay tuned!**

**P.S. Totally stole the "– Glee –" thing from shanehardy. No shame.**


	12. Departures Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Part 2 is here! I'm telling you, this has kicked my butt. This is uber Angstville. I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I DO however own Glee Season 1 on DVD. That is all.**

— **Glee —**

**Untitled Blaine/Sebastian Project That Will Rock**

**CHAPTER TWELVE: DEPARTURES PART 2**

While Blaine enjoyed getting to know Kurt's friends, he was growing more and more annoyed as the day progressed. They went from talking in Kurt's room with his friends, to walking through central park with his friends. After that, the group decided to meet some friends at a small café for lunch and then stop at a sheet music shop that was going out of business.

Every time another idea or invitation popped up, Blaine was asked "Oh, you don't mind, do you?"

Blaine felt as though he was being backed into a corner. If he was being honest, he would say that he _did_ mind and that he wanted to spend time privately with Kurt. He would also then be the rude, anti-social boyfriend from out of town. What made it worse was that Kurt was obviously enjoying himself. More often than not, Kurt was the one suggesting the next activity or asking Blaine if he wanted to go with the group. Part of him didn't blame Kurt. If Blaine had the opportunity to have a fun time with his friends, he would most likely take advantage of it as well. The only difference in the scenario was that he wouldn't do it if it meant sharing his boyfriend who was only in town for three days. Instead, Blaine was forced to plaster on a smile and nod his agreement and dismiss their concern. This lack of assertiveness left him in a group of 8 as they made their way back to the dorms. They had all agreed to stop by the dorms before heading out for Karaoke Friday.

"You're gonna love it," Kyle said as they made their way through the lobby of the dormitory. "There's this little karaoke bar just off Broadway that has the most ridiculous prices, but the best entertainment."

Sarah laughed as she continued where Kyle left off: "You get a really healthy mix of people. Sometimes you'll have the reincarnation of Patti Lupone, and then you'll get Sanjaya the next minute."

"If you stay late enough, the fun really begins. Last week, this woman started crying in the middle of "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Mis. I think she thought she was auditioning for American Idol. It was priceless. I think my life has officially begun the downhill journey after that experience," Kyle jumped back into the conversation.

Kurt smiled as he stepped through the door and turned around. "You're going to love it." The two waved to the group as Kurt closed the door. "OK, so we have about fifteen minutes before we have to…"

Kurt stopped talking when he turned around to face the shorter boy. Blaine looked at his boyfriend in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question," was Kurt's reply.

Blaine leaned on the wall as he crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

"Come on Blaine, I know you well enough to know when you're upset. I might have missed it before, but it's definitely there now. What's wrong? Do you not want to go tonight?"

Blaine looked down and tried to school his features. They had fifteen minutes before they had to be downstairs to meet the rest of the group. It was not the time to begin a fight. It seemed as though that sentence was becoming a mantra for the weekend.

"It's nothing Kurt. I'm fine. I'm…" he exhaled and it was as if something in him snapped.

"No, actually that's a lie. Everything isn't fine."

Kurt stopped trying to take off his coat and froze like a statue. If the moment wasn't so serious, Blaine might have found the sight of Kurt, arms stretched in strange angles, amusing.

"I'm not fine. This…this weekend isn't fine Kurt."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked as he lowered his arms and sat down on his bed.

"What do I mean?" came the loud response. "I mean…what's going on? What are we doing?"

"We're getting ready to go meet my—"

"Exactly! We're getting ready to meet _your friends_. We just got back from spending the day with _your friends_. The entire time I've been here, we've spent it with _your friends_. What about us Kurt? When are we going to get our time together?"

He could see Kurt's thoughts cross his face as his features changed every few seconds. He seemed to settle on anger when he stood up.

"I'm sorry my friends are so horrible that you're forced to spend time with them. With us."

"Oh, that's not what I meant and you know it," Blaine bit back. Neither boy seemed to back down. "I like your friends. I want to spend time with them. I want to get to know them and want them to get to know me, Kurt. But not today! Not now!"

"Who's forcing you? I don't recall anyone holding a gun to your head. If memory serves me right, you agreed to every minute we spent today."

"Right, yeah, my agreement when I was put on the spot. It's called coercion. Do you realize how many awkward situations you've put me in today? You go on and on about how fun _this_ is or how amazing _that_ is and then you ask me if I want to go. You and your friends talk about how much they want to have lunch and then I'm asked if it's OK to go." Blaine stood up and walked over to the desk as he pounded his fist on the wooden piece of furniture.

"What am I supposed to say to that, Kurt? Am I supposed to say 'No you guys. Actually, I'm only here for a few days and I want to spend time with my boyfriend. So we're going to leave you even though he just went on and on about how much he wants to do what you're asking me.'" He looked up and stared into Kurt's eyes. "Is that what I'm supposed to say?"

"Where is this coming from? Why is this the first time I'm hearing any of this?" Kurt asked as he too stood up, not allowing Blaine to tower over him any longer.

"This has always been here. You're just finally seeing it for the first time. I guess I can thank the lack of people in this room for that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurt asked as his eyes narrowed.

"It means that since your friends showed up, you have barely noticed that I'm here!"

Blaine's anger was now beyond the point of caring how loudly he was yelling. Blaine Anderson was not the angry type. He had been schooled from a very young age to always keep his emotions subdued so as to never cause a scene. This was probably the first scene he ever caused. It didn't take an audience for him to know that their voices could easily be heard in the hallway.

"Really? So the entire day that I spent with you was just—"

"You mean the day where Sarah had to stand up to Joshua for me? Or the day where Antwon filled me in on all the different people in your stories that everyone keeps bringing up because I have _no idea_ who these people are? Or do you mean the day where I shared a seat with Kyle because you were busy talking to Sarah on the train? Or could you possibly be talking about the day where Joshua talked to me for twenty minutes while you were on the phone with Kelly? Hmm? Are we talking about that day or another one? I'm honestly _really_ confused at this point." The last few sentences were dripping with sarcasm as Blaine spat them out.

"Wow…" was Kurt's reaction as he took a step back and regarded Blaine as if they had just met. "Please, what else have I done wrong, Blaine? I mean honestly, don't hold back. You forgot the part where I kicked the puppy, set the orphanage on fire, and wrote the screenplay for 'Glitter.'"

Blaine rolled his eyes; this was finally the moment in his life where he wouldn't back down. "Don't even try to play the victim card right now Kurt. Yes, I'm angry. Yes, I'm hurt, but honestly that's not even the issue for me. It annoyed me, yes, but that's not why I'm so upset." His voice became smaller as he lowered himself onto the desk's chair. Blaine could feel the emotional welling up in his eyes.

"Then what is it?" Kurt asked as he sighed and sank back onto the bed.

"I feel like I'm losing you Kurt. Actually, no…I feel like I've already lost you."

Kurt stood up from the bed and knelt in front of the raven-haired boy.

"You haven't lost me Blaine. Why would you ever think that?"

Blaine let out an empty laugh as he looked at Kurt. Even in this moment when all their problems were finally being aired after months of ignoring them, Kurt still wasn't able to see the truth.

"Look at you Kurt, look at your life. You're happy here. You're successful. You have a group of amazing friends and you're finally doing what you've always wanted to do: perform."

Kurt stood up and took a step backwards, hurt. "Am I supposed to apologize for that?"

"No," Blaine quickly assured him as he stood up and reached out to hold his hands. "No, you should never apologize for that. I've always known that you were meant for great things Kurt, I've never wanted to hold you back in any way."

Blaine looked at their hands as he took a step closer. "But all that has come at a price. Look at us. We've barely spoken these last few months. You have an entire life that I know next to nothing about. You have a room full of pictures that I'm barely in. You have a routine that I don't fit into anymore. You have a life that I don't fit in anymore."

He looked into Kurt's eyes, pleading with him to see things for what they were.

"I just…" his voice broke as he fought to control the tears that were already flowing down his cheeks. "I guess I just wanted to be a part of this, instead of the stranger outside the window. I wanted it to be Kurt and Blaine against the world. But it's become Kurt against the world."

"You're wrong Blaine. You are so completely wrong. You are still a part of my life, a big part of my life. You always will be," Kurt said as he wiped a tear away with his thumb.

"Don't make promises like that Kurt. Don't make them if you can't keep them."

"I can and I will. It still is Kurt and Blaine against the world. That hasn't changed."

Blaine had almost let himself believe Kurt's words. So much of him was still that 17 year old that switched schools for the boy he loved, but what a difference a year makes.

"It has Kurt. It has and you traded in our duet for a solo career. You chose New York and…and that's OK. It is. It really is."

Kurt looked as though he had been slapped. "I didn't realize that you had given me an ultimatum."

"I didn't," Blaine insisted as he wiped away more stray tears. "You made that choice yourself. I was happy to share you with this city. I was happy to support you as you took it over, but I wanted to be a part of it. I needed to be at your side, at least in some sense. But you wouldn't let me. You chose New York. You chose to do this without me. And now I'm left here, a…a stranger in your room."

"I didn't—"

"Yes you did Kurt. Don't try and say otherwise. You were distant. You made your priorities and I wasn't one of them. And it's fine, I just…I just wish you could have realized this and let me go instead of keeping me on, making me worry that there was something wrong with me, that I was doing something wrong."

Blaine stood there, completely exposed, heart on his sleeve.

Kurt looked helpless. His body was deflated, the previous confidence that he held was nowhere in sight. All that was left in the room were two little boys who had just realized that they had lost their favorite toy.

"You're right Blaine."

The admission was small, short, but so full emotion that it could fill a building.

"You were right on the phone last week and you're right now. I'm sorry. I can change. I will change. And that's not an empty promise. It's the truth."

"I want to believe that Kurt, but—"

"Then let me prove it. We'll go to dinner, eat really quickly, and then I'll make an excuse for us so we can go. We'll spend the rest of the weekend together, just you and me. I'll turn my phone off. World be damned, it'll be Kurt and Blaine against the world. You are my everything, Blaine. You are. I know I haven't made you feel that way for a while, but I want you to know that you are still the first and only man I've ever loved. Please, give me this weekend to show you that."

Blaine looked at the boy in front of him, the tears trailing down his porcelain cheeks, the sincerity and desperation in his eyes. He could feel his heart breaking as he watched Kurt plead with him. Despite it all, despite the pain and humiliation that he had felt, Blaine couldn't turn his back on his boyfriend.

He nodded his head yes, a hesitant smile on his face. Isn't this what he wanted? Didn't he want Kurt to fight for them? Didn't he need Kurt to show him how much he, Blaine, was needed and wanted? He knew Kurt. He could read him like a book. There was truth in his words.

"Ok," Blaine breathed as he leaned his face forward and felt Kurt's forehead on his own. "Let's do it. Kurt and Blaine against the world."

Kurt's eyes immediately lit up, joy and disbelief replacing the fear that had just been there. He grabbed Blaine and held him in the tightest embrace that either of them had ever shared. They stood there, in each other's arms for what seemed like eternity, both refusing to let go in fear of what might happen. Finally, Kurt pulled back and grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Come on, we have a dinner that we need to blow off."

The two boys made their way to the lobby and met up with the group. They both wore identical smiles as they greeted the other NYADA students and made their way through the city's streets. As Blaine walked down the way, the city seemed to glow brighter than usual. He sent a quick text as he leaned close to Kurt while on the train.

_Blaine: New York is amazing per usual. Things started off a little rough, but they're going really well now. We're headed to dinner with some friends. I'll tell you all about it when I get back!_

Blaine smiled, knowing that Sebastian and Tina were worried about how things would go on his trip. He hoped the message would ease their worries over the matter. Blaine pocketed his phone after turning it off. He figured he would embrace a weekend alone with his boyfriend. He continued walking with the group, sharing several stolen glances with Kurt as they entered the karaoke bar.

_Sebastian: I'm glad things leveled out for you. Hopefully Ru Paul is behaving herself!_

_Tina: awww…im so glad 2 hear that! call me the min ur by urself! cant wait 2 talk 2 u so u can tell me all about ur weekend!_

**Glee —**

The group continued to laugh and enjoy themselves. Kurt and his friends had been correct when they described the levels of entertainment that could be found in the tiny establishment. By the time they had ordered their food, Blaine had already seen a man drunkenly fall off the stage, a woman butcher a Christina Aguilera song, and a Mom's night out group rap "I Like Big Butts."

As the group chatted between performances, Kyle suddenly jumped out of his seat while staring at his phone.

"Holy SHIT you guys!"

"What?" Sarah asked as he laughed at the concerned look at Blaine's face.

"Andrew just texted me. He's working a party over in SoHo for Neil Gleichman. He said there's a back entrance that he can get us into!"

Blaine watched as the entire table erupted into shouting and smiles. Blaine had no idea who Neil Gleichman was, but he most definitely was an important person if it caused the table of performers to convulse at his name.

Antwon noticed Blaine's confusion. "Neil Gleichman is a huge theatre producer. He throws the biggest parties that all the big names go to. Getting into this party could be a life changer."

"I can't believe this is what I wore tonight!" Kurt lamented. "We _need_ to go back and do a wardrobe change before we go."

Blaine turned to look at his boyfriend. It wasn't as if he'd deny Kurt the opportunity to go to this party, he figured it was his boyfriendly duty to suck it up and go to the party for the sake of Kurt's career, but what bothered Blaine was that Kurt hadn't even _asked_ if they could go. Not that Kurt needed permission, but an hour hadn't even passed since he made the promise about spending the rest of the weekend completely by themselves. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Kurt's voice.

"This might possibly be the best day of my life!" he yelled as he turned to look at Blaine. "I mean, the day started off OK, but now…Neil Gleichman!"

Blaine fought the initial urge to slap Kurt. He stared back blankly as he used ever ounce of will to not cause a scene. Blaine sat there and listened to the group talk and imagine what the rest of their night would turn into, or at least tried to listen. All he could hear was Kurt's voice going on and on, saying how his day had only been "OK" before the news of the party.

Without saying a word, Blaine calmly stood up from his chair and walked away. He didn't know what he was doing, it was as if his body was running on autopilot. He maneuvered his way through the crowds and soon found himself outside the building. He walked a couple of steps and then leaned back onto the cold brick. He cursed silently when he felt the cool November wind, remembering that his jacket was inside on his chair. He hugged himself as his mind raced frantically.

"Here you are. What are you doing out here?"

Blaine turned to see a shivering Kurt standing next to him. He didn't know how long he'd been outside, although the numb feeling in his arms told him that it had probably been quite a bit of time. He looked at Kurt, confusion and a smile on his face. He didn't know why Blaine was outside. He didn't know anything was wrong.

"Really Kurt? Really?"

He knew he sounded childish. He knew it was immature. He knew that they shouldn't be having the conversation while he was so heated, but Blaine didn't care. Kurt had made a promise, a big promise, and broke it, all within the span of an hour.

"Blaine, I don't—"

"No Kurt! No! I don't want to hear it!" he pushed off the wall and flung his arms. "You broke your promise!"

He could see Kurt's face go from confused to angry.

"The party? You're mad about that?"

"Do you really need me to answer that?" Blaine glared at Kurt, hoping to punctuate his question with his annoyance and disbelief.

"This is Neil Gleichman, Blaine. NEIL GLEICHMAN! Do you have any idea how big this could be? People would kill for this opportunity! Am I supposed to blow it off so that we can walk through Central Park together?"

"No Kurt!" Blaine yelled back. "No, you're not, but you're supposed to _ask me_! The minute Antwon told me who he was, I knew that we'd go. It's not my ideal night, but I figured it'd mean a lot to you. But the fact that you didn't even _look_ at me before planning your outfit is pretty much the biggest insult I think you've given me…ever."

Kurt glared, a look of stubbornness on his face. "I'm not going to apologize for trying to further my career. What's the big deal? It's just one night. We still have—"

"One night?! It's not just 'one night' Kurt, it's us! It's our relationship! Things are horrible right now. We needed this night. We needed to just be us. But how can we be 'us' if you can just discard 'us' at the first opportunity without even discussing it with me first?" Blaine was fully aware of the looks that they were getting, but he couldn't be bothered to care.

"I can't believe this. Blaine, stop being so childish! This isn't like I just ditched you to go see a movie or something. This is my career!"

"And I fully realize that Kurt, I'm not stupid. But I also realize that I'm being put on hold again while you—"

"While I what? While I what, Blaine?" Kurt fumed. "While I pursued my dream? I came out here to be an actor. You know that. You've _always_ known that. I took a chance. I moved out here. I left everyone and everything I've ever known behind so that I could have the _extremely small possibility_ of even making it. I bet my life on the chance that I'd be on Broadway. You've always known this Blaine. You've always known the deal, so don't stand there and act like I'm some horrible person because I want to go to a party that could change my life! A party that could change everything for me."

Blaine stood there in the cold, feeling like he had just been slapped in the face.

"I'm not going to let you make me feel like the villain right now. Grow up and realize that while I love you, you aren't the center of my universe!"

The two stared at each other. It seemed as though Kurt's words only fumed Blaine's anger.

"Right. I'm so sorry that I'm your selfish boyfriend who only wants you to himself. And for your information Kurt, I am fully aware of what you did to come out here. I understand that you made a big sacrifice. I understand that you are here to follow your dream. I understand that you need to do everything in your power to make it a reality. But you know what else I know? I know that you made a promise to me today that it would be us versus the world. You made a promise to me before you left that we would be together and that I was a _priority_ for you. Well guess what, I don't feel like a priority Kurt!"

Blaine could feel tears falling from his eyes and he hated them. He hated how emotional he was. He hated that he looked pathetic at that very moment, shouting at his boyfriend in the middle of a New York City sidewalk with people standing around them and staring. He hated that he had become that mess of a person that was usually ridiculed on television. He had become a caricature of himself, a cartoon parodying who he actually was.

"Well I'm sorry I'm not shining a spotlight on you and writing you poetry every minute of every day!" Kurt shouted as he waved his arms around, putting on a big show.

"You know that's not what I want," Blaine whispered as he tried to control his emotions.

"Honestly Blaine, you're acting like such a high schooler right—"

Slap.

The two boys froze as they realized what had just happened. Kurt's cheek glowed with redness as Blaine could feel the stinging sensation in his hand. The two could hear a few people around them laugh or make comments, but all Blaine could focus on was Kurt's face.

"Blaine, I—"

"It's already been said Kurt. You can't take that one back," he interrupted as he shook his head and took a step backwards, away from Kurt.

He stood here, considering the boy in front of him for a moment before making a decision and turning around to hail a cab. He needed to get out of there. He had found himself outside the building, not knowing what to do, but definitely not planning on leaving.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked as the cab pulled up. "Where are you going?"

"Home," was Blaine's reply as he opened the door.

"What do you mean? You're jacket's inside. Your bag is at my dorm!" Kurt said in a patronizing tone. Obviously, he didn't believe that Blaine was actually leaving.

"Keep them."

"Blaine!" Kurt yelled as Blaine go into the cab, closing the door. "Come on, don't be ridiculous. You're not leaving. Get out of the cab. Let's talk about this. I'll skip the party if that's what you really want, just get out of this cab."

Blaine looked up at Kurt finally, avoiding eye contact up until that point. It was then, after meeting eyes and allowing Kurt to truly see the expression on his face, that he saw Kurt's face change. He saw the realization sketch itself onto the careful features that made up Kurt's face. He saw the light go off in Kurt's brain as he grabbed onto the car door, his fingers curling over the ledge of the lowered window.

"No! Blaine, get out of this cab right now!" he ordered desperately.

"Where you going?" came the driver's question in a heavy accent that Blaine didn't even bother to try and place.

"Nowhere!" Kurt shouted as he continued pleading with Blaine. Tears streamed down his face as he kept talking to Blaine, begging him to get out of the cab.

"JFK," came Blaine's reply.

The cab started pulling forward and Kurt tried to keep up with it, running sideways for a few seconds before pulling away as the cab picked up speed and pulled into the New York traffic, Blaine's last words playing in his head over and over.

"Goodbye Kurt."

— **Glee —**

Blaine wiped away the memories from his eyes as he sat in the terminal, surrounded by various travelers. A family of four was across from him. The mother was fussing over the younger of the two children while the father watched a video on an iPad with the elder child. He could see a man smile into his phone as he spoke. A soft chuckle escaped the man's lips as he quietly said "I love you." A woman snuggled into the side of a man as they talked quietly, passing the time. All these people looked so happy to Blaine. It seemed as though the world could stop around them, and they wouldn't even notice.

Blaine used to have that. He used to have what they had, but now it was gone. Kurt was gone. His boyfriend was gone. Even though he was only a drive away, Blaine knew that they were worlds apart, separated by the circumstances of life that always seemed to work against you.

He heard the attendant announce that he flight was boarding. He felt numb as he handed over his ticket and later found his seat. The numbness was different than the sensation he felt standing outside the bar. His skin had felt that numbness; his heart felt this numbness. It wasn't as if his world cam crashing down around him. It wasn't as if his heart broke into pieces. It didn't feel like life was pointless. It just didn't feel like anything.

He was numb.

The flight passed by without any excitement and Blaine soon found himself standing in front of the door that lead to the street. He realized that he had no way to get to his house. He pulled out his phone, remembering that he had turned it off earlier that day. He read the two text messages from Sebastian and Tina. Their words of hope and happiness now seemed foreign to him. His hand shook, staring at the phone, trying to decide what to do.

He made his decision and pulled them phone up to his ear. He waited as he listened to the ringing. He stopped his pacing when the other person picked up. When he opened his mouth to speak, he was surprised by how strangled his voice sounded.

"Hey, it's me. I—I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I need you to pick me up from the airport," a long pause as he tried, in vain, to fight the tears that were once again forming in his eyes. "We got in a fight. It's—it's over. I left. Can you—can you come get me? Please?"

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here it finally is. This isn't exactly how I meant things to go, but the story just sort of got away from me as I was writing. Kelly didn't even show up…but I don't think too many of you will complain about that. So what did you think? This has been a bit of a build up, hopefully it wasn't anti-climactic. Also…lol…cliffhanger! I haven't decided who's picking up Blaine yet. Who would you like to see? Please tell me your thoughts about what just happened.**

**I would like to say thank you to all who favorited, followed, or reviewed this story since my last update!: the psychoone, whimsicalmisery, wicked1398, zimbardoo, Mythquessir, CJMusic, , RHatch89, Forever Gleek2000, Kaylen Cooper, .Riso, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, RoseCriss, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, Merry Wanderer of the Night, forgettheworld, FriskyFriar, Adrienne, Des, anderpson, AND TheOtherMaddy.**

**I promise I will answer all your reviews tomorrow (I'm pooped tonight and it's 3am right now. Ugh). Thank you all for your (continued) support! It's really awesome to be able to have you guys there reading and keeping me motivated. GROUP EFFORT! Also, can we all take a second and appreciate the fact that the story has crossed the 100 review mark!? You have no idea how stoked I was when I saw that 99 turn into 100. I also thought it fitting that WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks was the person to take that title.**

**So I'm thinking that I will be changing the name of the story to "We Love, We Lose, We Start Again" at the next update. What do you think? Hopefully that won't completely confuse anyone.**

**Thanks for reading! Please take a minute to review if you have the time and I can't wait to see you guys at the next update!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Blaine has a heart to heart with the person on the other end of the line and life tries to go back to normal in good ol' Lima, Ohio.**


	13. Conversations

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter, and the first with the new title! Thanks to everyone who voted...all 8 of you! ;) Also, I do apologize for the errors in here. I'm just tired and didn't want to go through this (-broken record is broken).**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Glee. Don't own the music used in this chapter. You know, writing these disclaimers is sort of bad for your self-esteem…**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Thirteen: Conversations**

Sebastian Smythe felt stupid.

There he was on a Friday night at Scandals, flirting with some random thirtysomething accountant who bought him a drink. He was really starting to hit rock bottom if he actually was sitting through a "funny" story about something that happened at the office that morning.

He silently thanked whoever invented vodka as he finished his fifth drink. The accountant, or whatever he was, motioned for the bartender to bring another. At least the talking bore was useful enough to keep a drink in Sebastian's hand. As the man continued talking, Sebastian took another sip from his glass, hoping that the alcohol would somehow make the story more interesting and the man more attractive. He needed a distraction that evening, and this man seemed like a decent enough option.

It had all started that morning when Blaine left for New York. Sebastian knew about the trip, he had even offered to drive Blaine to the airport, but it still put him in a sour mood when he thought about it. It wasn't jealousy. No, Sebastian Smythe didn't get jealous. It was just annoyance that Kurt Hummel had something that he wanted. He was distracted throughout his classes that day at school and ended up skipping his afternoon lessons. After moping around his house for a few hours, he ended up in his seat at the bar in Scandals hoping to find some suitable distraction for the evening.

He blinked his eyes as he felt his body tip slightly to the right. He shook his head and readjusted himself on the stool. The alcohol was definitely starting to kick in.

As the accountant continued to drone on and on about something that Sebastian wasn't paying attention to, he felt his pocket vibrate. Pulling out his phone, he immediately smiled when he saw Blaine's picture on the screen.

"Blaine—"

He could see the accountant's face scrunch up in annoyance when Sebastian pulled out his phone in the middle of the story. He would have _intentionally_ ignored the man had it not been the tone in Blaine's voice. His tone and what he said made Sebastian immediately tune out the world as a reflex. He looked around the room as though Blaine might somehow magically appear.

"Hey, it's me. I—I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I need you to pick me up from the airport. We got in a fight. It's—it's over. I left. Can you—can you come get me? Please?"

Sebastian felt a pain in his chest as he responded.

"Yeah, yeah Blaine. I'm—I'm coming right now. I'm coming. Don't worry, I'm going to come pick you up."

Sebastian started feeling his pockets for his keys. He looked like a mad man, turning in circles as though his keys were attached to his invisible tail that was eluding him.

"Sebastian, are you…have you been drinking?"

"Huh?" Sebastian asked as he stopped. "Yeah, just a little. It really hasn't been tha—"

"You sound drunk."

"I'm not drunk Blaine, I've just had a few drinks. I'm fine to drive."

Even as the words came out of his mouth, Sebastian realized how slurred they sounded. He probably wasn't fit to drive, which was probably why he had left his car at his house and taken a cab to Scandals, anticipating this turn of events.

"No, don't worry about it. I'll just ask someone else."

"No!" Sebastian protested, "You don't have to find someone else. I can just—"

"You're not going to get into an accident over me. I'll just call Tina."

Sebastian hated how small Blaine's voice sounded.

"Blaine, you don't have to—"

"I'll talk to you later Sebastian," Blaine interrupted.

"Blaine—"

"Bye."

Sebastian pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the phrase "Call Ended" that was blinking on the screen.

"Fuck!" he yelled at the device.

Blaine had just hung up on him. He hung up on him because he was too drunk to be a reliable friend. Sure, he wasn't wasted out of his mind or anything, but it was still enough to keep him from helping Blaine. Why couldn't he have just stayed home that evening? Why did he have to go to Scandals to find someone?

He stared at his phone for another minutes before being pulled out of his thoughts by an exaggerated clearing of the throat.

"You know I was in the middle of a story," the accountant said annoyed as he continued to glare at Sebastian.

He sneered slightly as he hopped off his seat and downed the rest of his drink. "No, stories are interesting. You were in the middle of boring me out of my mind," Sebastian corrected as he walked away.

"Thanks for the drinks," he called over his shoulder as he clumsily maneuvered his way through the dance floor and out the door.

— **Glee —**

Blaine held back his tears as Tina launched herself into his frame. They were standing next to her car at the airport. He felt her whispering words into his ear, but the noises around them were drowning out her, he assumed, comforting words. He tried to smile when she pulled back and looked at him. He quickly opened the door and slid into the seat.

"Are you OK? Oh god, of course you aren't OK! Why am I asking you stupid questions?" she rambled as she grimaced and looked over at him.

"How are you doing?"

Blaine sighed. That was a loaded question.

"I," he stopped as he thought about how to best answer the question, "I honestly don't know." He stared at his lap as he felt the time pass.

"Blaine, where's your bag? You definitely had a bag…and a coat when I dropped you off this morning."

Blaine turned red at the question, thinking about the answer. The scene from earlier in the evening played through his mind. He closed his eyes and could picture the look on Kurt's face when he told him to "keep them."

"They're in New York." He hoped the implication he was making was obvious enough to Tina that she wouldn't ask him to expand on his explanation. He sighed in relief when he saw the understanding flash through her face.

"So this wasn't exactly a planned exit," she said as she stared blankly ahead.

Blaine appreciated the lack of eye contact. There was something comforting about having the conversation without having to look someone in the eye. It was easier.

"Not exactly."

Another few minutes as silence filled the car. Blaine stared out his window, watching the cars pass by as they made their way back to Lima. He could see Tina out of the corner of her eye, dutifully watching the road and navigating the highway.

"So what happened?"

The question was short, but it was also incredibly intrusive. It was a question only a best friend could ask in such a sensitive situation. Had anyone else asked him, Blaine would have politely told them that he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't have to be that way with Tina. He knew that she was always there for him and that she was a good person to talk to when he needed someone to listen.

"It just…I don't know." He stared down at his lap again for a few seconds before continuing: "You were right. You were right when you said it was a bad idea. I shouldn't have gone. It was a waste of time."

"No," came her reply. "I was wrong, Blaine. You should have gone. Things may not have turned out the way you wanted them to, but you've been a walking time bomb these past couple of weeks. You're either in a really good mood, or you're bordering on manic depression. I was half scared you'd blow up at any minute. You needed to see him, to figure out where you two stood and what needed to be done. You needed this."

Blaine let out a dark laugh as he answered, "I sure don't feel like this is something that I needed."

"I didn't mean that this is something that would make you happy," she explained as she signaled a lane change, "just that it's something that you needed. You guys broke up, that sucks and…and I don't really know how to help you, but at least now there's closure and no more uncertainty."

"It feels like a high price to pay for closure," Blaine mumbled as he turned to stare out his window again.

"Breaking up isn't an easy process."

Tina let her statement settle into Blaine's mind for a few minutes before continuing. "So what happened?"

Blaine didn't respond. He stayed still in his position, facing away from Tina. He appreciated the space that she was giving him. He appreciated that she was waiting for him to be comfortable. Finally, he turned his head and looked at her.

"He's doing really well Tina. He has a great dorm room, a great school, cool new friends, cafes, bistros, and—and new hangouts to spend his time at. He has a better life out there and he's happy. He's really happy, Tina."

Blaine scrunched his facial features as he fought back the tears that weren't flowing, the reservoir having been completely used and dried up.

"He doesn't need me anymore," the words were so quiet that Tina almost missed them. "He used to need me, I used to have a place in his life, but now…now I'm just his boyfriend that lives hours away in a different state. I'm not necessary. That's what happened."

It was an odd sensation to experience. He felt like crying, he felt as though he needed to be shedding tears for his failed relationship, for the pointlessness of the past two years, but nothing was there. Even if he tried to cry, he doubted anything would come out.

"I never wanted to hold him back or keep him from following his dreams, I just wanted to be there with him and for him when that happened." He paused. He breathed. "I was there, Tina. I was right there next to him today, and I might as well have been back in Lima. He didn't look at me the same way anymore. We spent the entire day with his friends. We spent it with them and he couldn't have been happier. He used to _want _to be alone with me. He used to lie to you guys and tell you that we couldn't go out just so that we could have a night alone."

Blaine cast a glance over in Tina's direction after the admission. He realized that it might be taken as an insult to tell her that they avoided them on purpose, but his fears were put to rest when he saw her smile her understanding.

"No offense taken. Mike and I would do the same thing sometimes too." He felt better at the smile that she used to punctuate her statement.

"He has a new life and I was just an out of town vistor. I don't fit in anymore. I don't belong there anymore. I love him. I love him so much Tina, and that will never change, but I can't be OK with not being a priority. I'm fine with sharing his attention, but when I'm not even in the Top 10 in his life…I just…I can't do that."

"And you shouldn't have to," came Tina's reply. "Look, don't get me wrong because you know I love Kurt, but he hasn't been fair to you for a long time now. You shouldn't be in a position where you don't feel important. You're amazing Blaine and you deserve to be with someone who makes you feel like you're amazing." She reached across the seat and grabbed Blaine's hand.

"So you two got a chance to talk then?" she asked while squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, we did. I think the only time we spent alone was when I was yelling at him," his words trailed off as he turned back to his lap once more.

"Yelling at him? Who are you and what have you done with my Blaine Warbler?" Tina asked in a mocking tone.

An imposter. Blaine thought back to his final moments with Kurt. He thought about the slap. He _was_ an imposter. He remembered the look on Kurt's face after it happened. He remembered the shock and the hurt. He remembered how it felt. He remembered the stinging in his palm and the humiliation and shame. He remembered wanting to open his mouth and apologize, to scream his regret at an act that was so against all that he stood for, but instead he turned and ran. He walked away and left a hurting boy because he was too ashamed of his actions. Sure, he didn't hit Kurt over and over, but he had struck him, used physical force to express his anger. The fact that he purposely caused someone else pain in that manner made him little better than the boys who bashed him during his freshman year. He was little better than Mr. Smythe, beating his son over a fact that was uncontrollable.

"I guess I'm the evil twin," came Blaine's half-hearted reply.

"And we're back to Sad-Blaine just as we pull into the driveway," Tina said as she turned off the car and turned to face her friend. "Welcome home."

Blaine looked at his house, dark and empty. He turned back to his friend. "Thank you for picking me up. I know it's late and you didn't have to, so thank you."

Tina frowned as she hit him in the shoulder. "Excuse you, but _yes_, I did have to pick you up. You're my best friend. I'd have driven to New York at three in the morning if you needed me, you know that."

Blaine smiled a small smile again. "I do know that."

"Do you want me to stay tonight?" she asked as she looked deep into his eyes, searching for an answer that he might be too afraid to verbalize. "I packed a bag just incase. We can run to the store and grab some ice cream. We could watch movies with shirtless boys and reorganize your bow ties?"

Blaine smiled at her offer. He wasn't surprised. Tina was one of the most thoughtful, if not _the_ most thoughtful, people that he knew.

"As much as I'd love that, I think I just need to be alone right now Tina." He saw the understanding and hurt cross her face. She nodded as he continued to speak: "All I really want to do this weekend is just stay in bed and…and think about nothing. I want to cry and just be depressed, give myself to be the emotional teenager that I pretend not to be."

Tina smiled at her friend's honesty: "Sometimes crying is the best thing we can do."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, "and then on Monday, I'll get out of bed, shower, put on a new bow tie, and keep going. I'm not going to stay in bed forever, but I think I need a little break from everything to just work my head around it."

Blaine turned to take Tina's hand again: " I hope you don't mind it."

Tina smiled as she placed her other hand on top of his so that his hand was sandwiched between hers: "Of course I don't mind. Just remember that I'm here if you need anything, OK?"

"I'll remember," Blaine replied.

'"Promise?"

"I promise."

— **Glee —**

Blaine poked his head out from its place under his duvet. He squeezed his eyes shut as he blindly flung his arm about, trying to stop the noise that was disturbing his sleep.

His phone.

It was ringing.

It wouldn't stop ringing.

Blaine growled in annoyance as he continued his blind search. Finally, his hand felt the cold glass front of his phone. He gripped the device in his hand and brought it beneath the covers to where he had returned.

"Hello?" he asked in a husky voice, the affect of them being his first words of the day.

"Good morning Killer. Time to rise and shine!"

Blaine groaned as he pulled the phone away from his ear before responding, "Sebastian?"

"Correct."

"Why are you calling me?" Blaine asked as he repositioned himself under his blanket.

"Because I'm your morning wake-up call. So get out of bed. We have a busy day ahead of us."

"No offense Sebastian, but I'm not really in the mood for company today since—"

"Which is exactly _why_ you need to get out of bed," Sebastian interrupted.

"Yeah, well you're just going to have to accept my declined invitation. Short of you coming in here and dragging me out—"

"Well then! I think I smell a challenge!" Sebastian yelled as he threw open the door.

Blaine immediately sat upright in his bed, not removing the duvet from his head. He looked like a ghost as he was sitting in his bed, completely covered by the blanket.

"You're in my room?" he asked in shock.

"You still like stating the obvious, huh?" Sebastian teased as he leaned against Blaine's desk.

"How did you get in here?"

"Well, there's this thing called a door that—"

"I mean my house," Blaine snapped back.

"Oh, well, despite your family's expertly hidden spare key, I was able to solve the riddle and find it under your welcome mat," he said as he crossed his arms and smiled, though the show was lost on Blaine who was still covered by the duvet.

"It's an ingenious hiding spot, really."

"Sarcasm noted," Blaine replied in a monotone.

"And appreciated, I hope," Sebastian responded cheekily.

"But like I said, Sebastian, I'm not—"

"Before you finish that sentence, let's just remember one little fact: I'm a spoiled, incredibly handsome, rich kid who doesn't like the word 'no' and always gets what he wants. So we could sit here and go back and forth for an hour or so, or we could just skip to the end where you eventually give in and get out of bed."

Sebastian moved over to the bed and sat down on the edge while grabbing a part of the duvet and pulling it off his friend: "So stop your arguing and—Ahh!"

Sebastian yelled and jumped off the bed. Blaine was exposed to the bright morning Sun once again. He squinted for a few seconds before Sebastian came into view, standing a few feet away.

"What? Why did you scream?" he asked.

He saw the small smirk on Sebastian's face.

"No offense," Sebastian started, "but your hair is pretty scary in the morning." He laughed when he saw Blaine's face turn incredibly red: "The crack head hair has returned."

Blaine pulled the duvet back over his head.

"Better?" he asked.

Sebastian laughed as he moved back to the bed and sat down, pulling the covers off of Blaine. He looked at the other boy, reached out and playfully tousled Blaine's hair. He saw the surprise register on Blaine's face before the boy began to blush once more.

"No, I much prefer to be able to see you in all your creak head glory." Sebastian smiled before continuing, "although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't secretly hoping that you slept in the nude."

He laughed as he caught the pillow that was thrown at his head.

"Very funny," Blaine said while trying to keep the frown on his face, but failing miserably.

"So come on!" Sebastian began, "Get up, jump in the shower, and brush your teeth."

"Why," Blaine asked as he slowly got out of the bed and walked towards his bathroom.

"One, I refuse to be seen in public with you when you look like a more homeless looking Johnny Depp, and two, you have some pretty gross morning breath and I'd consider it a personal favor if you brushed your teeth."

Sebastian once again laughed as Blaine turned an even brighter shade of red and slammed the door behind him. He leaned back into the bed and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to quiet the pounding in his head. He had woken up with a slight hangover, but had refused to let that stop him from his mission to keep Blaine company.

He started to mentally go over his plan for the day when he heard the shower in the bathroom turn on. He turned his head to look at the door. Somewhere on the other side of that piece of wood was an undressed Blaine Anderson. He could feel his body respond to his thoughts as his pants began to tighten. The fact that he was lying in Blaine's bed, surrounded by his scene, only served to fuel Sebastian's already creative imagination.

As Sebastian allowed himself to picture what Blaine's shower might look like if he jumped in there as well, Blaine's phone began to ring. Sebastian turned to look at the black phone. The number wasn't a contact of Blaine's, there was no name and no picture, just a phone number. A considerate person would probably just let the call go to voicemail and respect their friend's privacy. Unfortunately for Blaine, Sebastian was not a considerate person. He was a nosy person.

"Hello?" he answered after swiping his finger across the screen.

"Oh, thank god you answered!" cried the voice on the other line.

Sebastian froze in his sitting position. He knew that voice. Why was he calling? And why didn't his name pop up? Was he calling from a different phone?

"Gay Face?" he asked.

There was a silence on the other end of the line. He knew that the pink and bedazzled wheels were turning in Kurt's head.

"Sebastian?" Surprise did not adequately describe how Kurt's voice sounded. There was another moment of silence before Kurt continued speaking: "Why am I surprised? Of course you'd slither your way over to Blaine's house this morning. I mean, it's only been a few hours. I'm surprised you waited so long before making your move."

"I'm not making a move Ru Paul, so calm down before you pop a tampon," Sebastian shot back.

"And there are those witty insults that I missed while I'm here in New York City at a prestigious performing arts school…oh wait, that's right," Kurt's words dripped with sarcasm, "I didn't miss them. Or you."

"Oh yes, your blossoming career in New York. Tell me Hummel, have you found yourself having to resort to gay porn yet? Or are they even rejecting you?"

"I'm not surprised you brought up gay porn, care to share something with the rest of the class?

"Just that your voice makes me regret not being born deaf and that your face is so gay that it makes me want to scrapbook," Sebastian replied sweetly.

"I don't even know why I'm defending myself to you. I'm the one in New York with a career and you're the one in Lima, Ohio."

"A career?" Sebastian laughed, "Right, because one day I'll be able to say 'I knew that one gay flying monkey from Wicked.'"

"You know, you're like that 1% of germs that disinfectant just can't kill. What do I need to do to get rid of you?" Kurt asked.

"Leave Blaine alone and you won't have to ever talk to me again." Sebastian sat up from his position of lying on the bed.

"Funny, I was about to tell you the same thing," Kurt countered.

"I'm serious Lady GayGay, leave him alone. He doesn't want to talk to you."

He heard Kurt laugh mockingly: "And what makes you an authority on Blaine and what he wants?" he challenged.

"Well, for starters, I'm the one who's been talking to him for the past few months, not you. And two, it's pretty obvious that a person is done with you when they erase you from their phone." Sebastian knew he took a chance on his last statement, but he was pretty confident that Kurt was indeed calling from his own cell phone.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"You're calling from your phone, right?" Sebastian explained as if Kurt were stupid.

"Yes," Kurt snapped back.

"Then he deleted your number. There wasn't a name or picture when you called."

If it had been anyone else on the other side of the phone line, Sebastian may have felt bad for them, but this was Kurt Hummel. Pity was a feeling that Sebastian would never have for Kurt.

"You're lying." Kurt's voice was smaller and missing the grit that it previously held.

"Thankfully, I'm not. He's done with you. He doesn't want to talk to you. Frankly, I doubt anyways does. So do us all a favor and leave him alone. I think you've done enough damage, don't you?" Sebastian hoped his accusation achieved its desired affect.

"And if I don't?" the voice wasn't challenging, more a pathetic refusal to give in so easily.

Sebastian replied in a cool, accusing tone: "For Blaine's sake, I hope you do."

There was silence. Sebastian waited for Kurt to reply, it wasn't like him to give up the last word. After a minute of nothing, Sebastian pulled the phone away from his ear to see that Kurt had already hung up. He erased the call from the call log and frowned as he put the phone back on Blaine's bed. He let himself fall backwards onto the bed. He stayed there for a few more minutes before he saw the door open and his jaw dropped.

There in front of him stood a dripping Blaine wearing only a shy smile and a low-hanging towel.

"Umm…do you think you could give me a minute to get dressed?" Blaine asked.

Despite the loud cries of protest screaming in his head, Sebastian smiled and moved over to the door leading to the hallway: "Sure, I'll be downstairs in the music room."

— **Glee —**

Sebastian walked into the dedicated music room and picked up one of the guitars sitting in a corner. He looked over at the grand piano that sat in another corner. He smiled as he imagined a young Blaine sitting on the bench, on top of some phonebooks to help him reach the keys. He looked to the couch positioned in front of the opposite wall and could almost picture Mr. and Mrs. Anderson sitting and listening to their son play. He sighed as he tried to create a perfect childhood in his mind. He wondered what it would have been like.

"So why did you want me to meet you in here?" Blaine asked as he walked into the room.

Sebastian was pulled out of his thoughts as he turned around. He was taken aback by Blaine's appearance. Gone were the khakis, button-ups, and sweater vests. The Blaine in front of him was wearing a pair of jeans and an old, worn-in t-shirt. His hair wasn't gelled back into a helmet and there wasn't a bow tie in sight. He looked casual, comfortable. Sebastian smiled when he looked down and noticed that Blaine still wasn't wearing socks. It seemed as though some habits might just be too hard to let go. Sebastian thought that he almost preferred this version over the other more put-together version that he was accustomed to.

"Wow…you…you don't look like yourself," Sebastian said as he continued to study the other boy with his eyes.

"Oh," Blaine said as his smile left and he looked down to examine his clothes, "I didn't want to make you wait too long, so I just threw this on. I could go cha—"

"No!" Sebastian shouted. "I mean, no, no you look…good." He smiled when he noticed Blaine's cheeks torn a rosy pink: "It's just different than you're usual look."

Blaine smiled as he continued to not make eye contact: "And what exactly is my usual look?"

"Sexy librarian," Sebastian shrugged. He joined in with Blaine's laughter.

Both boys smiled as they looked at the other. Blaine moved over to the couch and sat down after Sebastian motioned for him to take a seat. He watched as Sebastian pulled a stool into the center of the room, in front of the couch.

"Am I getting a concert?" Blaine asked.

"Well, I tried to think of a way to cheer you up today. It was a little hard, because my coping mechanisms are a little different than the average human being," Sebastian explained.

Blaine smiled as he asked his next question, "And what exactly are your coping mechanisms?"

"Well," Sebastian began, "I tend to lash out physically or verbally against people who piss me off. My original thought was that we could get back and Kurt by planting drugs on his dad and calling the cops, but I figured you might not like that idea so much."

"Very perceptive of you," Blaine replied with a raised eyebrow, showing his disapproval of Sebastian's joke.

"So then my second thought was that we could maybe do something against a symbol for what Kurt is, a way to metaphorically give you a chance to get your emotions out…"

"This idea, I like more," Blaine interrupted.

"…but then I figured if you didn't want to plant drugs on Papa Hummel, you probably wouldn't want to go to the park and push down little girls." Sebastian grew more confident when he saw Blaine trying to fight the smile that on his lips.

"So where does that leave us?" Blaine asked as he leaned back dramatically into the couch.

"Well, it leaves us with the classic method of music. I figured I could sing you a song about how you might feel," Sebastian said as he strummed a few chords on the guitar.

"You're going to sing a song about my emotions?" Blaine asked, clearly surprised by his own words.

"Yes."

Blaine smiled as he looked at his friend: "Then by all means, please do!"

Blaine grew a little nervous when he saw Sebastian's mischievous smile pop up as he played the first few bars of the song.

_You don't know how much I need you_

_While you're near me I don't feel blue_

_And when we kiss I know you need me too_

_I can't believe I've found a love that's so pure and true_

Blaine smiled in confusion as Sebastian sang the first few lines. He had no idea what song Sebastian was singing. Why was he singing it? It didn't seem like an obvious choice for a "cheer up my friend because he just broke up with his boyfriend" type of song.

_But it all was bullshit_

_It was a goddamn joke_

_And when I think of you Linda_

_I hope you fucking choke_

_I hope you're glad with what you've done to me_

_I lay in bed all day long feeling melancholy_

_You left me here all alone, tears running constantly_

Blaine was laughing as Sebastian began singing the second chorus. Despite the crassness of the song and the general feeling of depression, he couldn't help but laugh at Sebastian's misguided attempt to cheer him up. The song choice reeked of the infamous Smythe humor.

_Oh somebody kill me please_

_Somebody kill me please_

_I'm on my knees, pretty pretty please, _

_Kill me_

_I want to die_

_Put a bullet in my head…_

After Sebastian sang the last note, he smiled when he saw a laughing Blaine. His smile grew even bigger when Blaine gave him a standing ovation. He decided to play along by hopping off his stool and taking a very low, dramatic bow.

"So how close was I with this?" Sebastian asked teasingly, glad that Blaine saw the humor in the song.

"Well, I'm not quite at that level of depression, but it definitely made me laugh and I didn't think I'd do too much of that this soon," Blaine answered.

"Well good, I guess I can proudly say mission accomplished," Sebastian replied as he walked over and replaced the guitar.

"Let me go upstairs and grab my phone, I think I left it on your desk. I'm taking you to lunch and then a movie. It'll be Part 2 of 'Cheer Up Princess Sparkle Pants Day,'" Sebastian said as he turned around to walk back up the stairs.

"Does Part 3 have anything to do with you not calling me 'Princess Sparkles Pants' anymore?" Blaine asked, feigning a look of anger.

Sebastian only laughed as he exaggerated a shoulder shrug and continued moving out of Blaine's sight.

"Sebastian!?" Blaine yelled after his friend disappeared around a corner. He smiled when he saw Sebastian's head pop back into sight.

"Thanks," he called out.

"For what?" Sebastian asked, a confused look on his face.

"For not letting me stay in bed this morning," Blaine answered. "Thanks."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and once again disappeared behind the wall.

"You know I don't do feelings or 'special moments,' Sparkle Pants. Let's just have lunch…"

Blaine couldn't understand the rest of what Sebastian said. Despite his protests, Blaine knew that Sebastian cared. He remembered the tantrum Sebastian had when he pulled him out of bed the previous Saturday. He knew that Sebastian liked sleeping in on the weekends, yet there he was in Blaine's bedroom a little after 9 am.

As the day continued and the two boys moved from one location to another, Blaine couldn't help but realize that he was having fun. How was it possible for him to cry in an airport bathroom for 45 minutes one night and then laugh and have fun with another boy the very next day?

Was that normal?

He looked over at the taller Warbler and couldn't fight the smile appeared on his lips. During their entire friendship, Blaine was constantly fighting his attraction to Sebastian. He knew that the other boy wasn't even a possibility, so he never allowed his mind to even go there.

But now? Now there was no Kurt. Now there was no boyfriend for him to feel guilty about. Now there was no promise of fidelity for him to cling to. There was nothing stopping him from allowing himself to look at Sebastian in that way. The feeling was both freeing and terrifying at the same time. Sebastian had definitely turned over a new leaf, but that didn't erase all of Blaine's memories. Didn't people say a leopard never changes its spots? Was Sebastian really a viable option for him? And if so, was it really fair to Sebastian to start anything so close to his break up with Kurt?

So many questions raced through Blaine's mind as he thanked the barista for his mug of hot apple cider. Though he was confused about many things, there was one thing that Blaine knew for sure: it was hard to fight the smile that always tugged at his lips when Sebastian was around.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whew! Another chapter finished. I hope you guys liked it. Also, I hope no one was confused by the title change. It was a little weird typing the new title at the beginning of this chapter. I suppose I should go back and change the old chapters (although that might be a good excuse for me to go back and edit them as well). **

**So what'd you guys think? I feel like maybe we got back to how things were earlier in the story, the less serious side to this story. Things have kind of been heavy for a little while. Also, Sebastian has made his return after being gone for 2 chapters. Did you miss him? I was a little unsure of how to take things in this chapter. I came up with a few different possibilities, but ended up going with this one. Hopefully you all liked it.**

**I would like to thank EVERYONE who showed some love on the last chapter. The reviews and favorites and followings came out of nowhere! I'm continually surprised by the support this little fiction that could is getting! So I'd like to say thank you to Adrienne, TVTime, Caleb, FriskyFriar (loved the novel-length review!), anikiti88, RoseCriss, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks (thanks for helping me conceptualize the chapter!), forgettheworld, Forever Gleek2000, RHatch89 (Thanks for the insults!), brittana5, Chewi.x, Zlataslawa, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, Kaylen Cooper, dantekalem, blurrfish, greenpeople, HummingbirdHeartbeat123, shweirbones, and dressmeupinstitches for being awesome and doing any (combination) of the above things! I hope you all can take a minute and leave me some thoughts/feedback on this chapter…or, you know, not. :)**

**I'm excited to write the next chapter, it's going to have a scene that I've had stuck in my head for awhile now that I think you will all like. They'll start to move away from a playful friendship and will start to explore each other in a more romantic way.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Tina and Sebastian meet again and Blaine and Sebastian share their first duet.**

**P.S. Did anyone else notice the "cool karaoke bar that NYADA students hang out at" in the last episode? I'm just saying…lol**

**P.P.S. The song I used in this is "Somebody Kill Me Please" by Adam Sandler from **_**The Wedding Singer**_**. It's KIND OF an awesome song. Youtube it.**


	14. A Day in the Life of Sebastian Smythe

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, so I've done a horrible job of keeping track of the timeline in this story. I COULD go back and try to figure out where I am in the calendar with this story, but you know…I'm lazy. Sue me. Let's just pretend Blaine went to visit Kurt…hmm…the first weekend of November. This chapter takes place two weeks after that, so this would take place the weekend before Thanksgiving. I'll try to do a better job of keeping the timeline straight (no pun intended). Ok, that's all. **

**Italics denote a character's thoughts. Yep, I'm bringing that one back.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything. Blah, blah, blah…**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Fourteen: A Day in the Life of Sebastian Smythe**

Sebastian could hear the echoes of Warbler singing down the hall before he entered their common room. A soft yawn escaped his mouth as he dropped his bag down on the leather couch and let himself collapse on it. It was early in the morning, or at least early for him, considering he believed noon was an appropriate time for waking up.

Two weeks had passed since Blaine's return. Sebastian smiled as he thought back on those two weeks. He and Blaine had become almost inseparable in that amount of time. They spent their afternoons and evenings together. It was uncommon for either of them to sleep alone. They took turns spending their nights at the other's house, especially the previous weekend, seeing as how Mr. Smythe had been home from a business trip and Sebastian always made himself scarce when his father was home. Despite their constant company, things had not progressed beyond a friendship. Their time in bed was kept at a strict PG rating. There were plenty of moments where they could have taken things further, become more physical or intimate due to their circumstance, but neither had taken that step, made the move.

Sebastian thought that the slow pace would kill him, and sometimes it did, but for the most part he was content with how their relationship was progressing. In the past, he went in the complete opposite direction, basing all interaction on sex and not bothering to try and get to know his partner. Why would he stop his thrusting to ask the sweaty guy underneath him what his secret dreams were or what his favorite color was? That was for virgins or CW television shows, not him.

Sebastian was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt the cushion dip next to him under Nick's weight.

"Good morning, Smythe!" Nick greeted as he pulled his bag's strap off his shoulder.

"Morning!" Sebastian replied.

He turned to face his friend after a few seconds of silence. He saw Nick regarding him with a knowing smile.

"What?"

Nick smirked as he answered his friend: "What? Can't a guy just smile at his friend?"

"Yeah," Sebastian responded, "but he can't smile at them like that unless he's about to rape them or take them into a forest and chop them into pieces."

"Your appreciate for the human connection never ceases to amaze me."

"Well, pardon my discomfort for you homage to Heath Ledger with that smile. Are you going to ask me if I want to see a magic trick next? What's going on in that little, simple mind of yours?"

Nick shook his head. Leave it to Sebastian Smythe to ruin a moment of friendship with inappropriate responses.

"Nothing," he answered as he turned away from Sebastian and looked at a small group of their friends who were currently practicing a complicated dance move for a new singing number.

"So how was Blaine this morning?"

"Good," Sebastian smiled, "he was…"

Sebastian turned to look at Nick and frowned. He was not used to being tricked by others, let alone someone with as pedestrian a name as "Nick."

"How did you know I saw Blaine this morning?"

"Easy," Nick answered, "If you and Blaine had a sleepover the night before, you always answer my morning greeting with a 'Good morning,' or some variation of that. If you two had one of your little dates the night before, you usually say 'Hi.' If you spent the night alone working on homework because Blaine was out with his friends, you just grunt at me."

Sebastian disliked the fact that he had become predictable.

"Stalk much?" he scoffed.

Nick smirked, as he patronizingly responded, "No See in a friendship, a person usually notices something about their friend, they remember it, and then if they're really good friends, the person might use that same information in a future, applicable conversation. It shows that they care enough about the other person to remember something about their life."

"Ohh," Sebastian dramatically nodded his understanding, "so that's what a friendship looks like."

Nick played along and nodded his head as he took a sip from his coffee cup.

"I've been doing it wrong this whole time!" he exclaimed, much to Nick's amusement. The two shared a smile and a moment's silence before Nick furthered the topic.

"So what's going on with you two? You official yet?"

"We're not anything. We're friends, you know that." Sebastian glared at his friend, his good mood quickly leaving him.

"Right, because that's how normal friends act. When's the last time you and I slept in the same bed?" Nick countered as he took another drink.

"I don't know," Sebastian deadpanned, "have you been having those dreams again?"

"Har har har," came Nick's sarcastic laughter, his expression quickly changing as he forced an uncomfortable look on his face: "You know all those feelings and thoughts are confusing for me…"

Sebastian laughed at his friend's words. One of the things he liked about Nick was that he didn't care that Sebastian was gay and was never once threatened by it. The two would frequently joke at the other's expense, insinuating that Sebastian was trying to turn Nick gay, or that Nick was trying to force his heterosexual ways onto Sebastian.

"As hard as it may be for your polluted, horny teenage-mind to believe, the only thing that happens in that bed is Blaine's light snoring." Sebastian was surprised by home uncomfortable the conversation was for him.

"You guys don't have to '69' each other for there to be something between you."

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't talk about Blaine like that," Sebastian growled.

"See? That reaction right there! That wouldn't piss you off if there wasn't something there. Besides, things can't be too innocent if he tried to get you to fuck him the other—"

"Shut the fuck up," Sebastian hissed as he glared daggers into Nick's eyes. "I told you about that because I assumed you wouldn't blab about it in the middle of the common room. And last I checked, Blaine was a friend of yours too. I find it hard to believe you'd say any of this in front of him."

Nick subconsciously scooted backwards, away from Sebastian. Even though he was the only person at Dalton who was close to the boy and could call him a friend, it didn't negate the fact that Sebastian could still look downright scary if properly motivated.

"Unless you want to completely embarrass him, then please, continue talking. I'm not sure Jeff's big satellite ears could hear you."

"Did you guys say my n—" Jeff asked as he turned in their direction with a smile on his face.

"No one's talking to you!" Sebastian barked as he turned and threatened the blonde with his eyes.

Jeff yelped slightly as he turned and ran back to the group of dancing Warblers.

"You know you just set him back a few weeks, right? He was finally starting to not have nightmares anymore," Nick noted as he played with the cup in his hands.

"He was having nightmares?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, you're pretty hard on him. He was pretty happy when things started going really well between you and Blaine. Actually, all the guys were pretty happy. You've been really easy to get along with these past few weeks."

He paused as he let his words sink in for Sebastian before continuing, "And I _am_ Blaine's friend. Would I have said that in front of him? No, but would you have told me that little story of what happened in your room in front of him?"

He smirked as he noticed the conflicted expression appear on Sebastian's face, "We're not horrible people. I'm not going to tell anyone what you told me and I don't think any less of him because of it. Sometimes guys just need to talk things through."

Sebastian regarded Nick carefully before turning to look at the Warblers again, his eyes falling on Jeff.

"Nightmares seem a little dramatic for him, don't you think?"

Nick bit back his laughter as he too turned to look at Nick who was having more trouble learning the dance moves than before being yelled at by Sebastian.

"You're pretty hard on him," Nick answered.

"I still think he's just being overly sensitive and blowing things out of proportion," Sebastian countered as he grabbed Nick's coffee cup and took a drink.

Nick frowned in annoyance as he answered, "Three weeks ago you barred him from fast food because you said he was starting to look like a bloated lesbian."

Sebastian smirked at the memory, "That was just me looking out for his health."

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes as Sebastian finished Nick's coffee. There was an easiness between the two that Sebastian rarely experienced with people, in truth, he only felt that way around Nick and Blaine.

"So you gonna make a move on Blaine?" Nick asked, turning to his friend.

"I already told you—"

"And I think I made it clear that I'm not stupid and know that you're interested in him….Despite what you think," anticipating Sebastian's remark about Nick's "stupid" comment.

"Even if I did want to make a move, which I'm not saying I do," Sebastian quickly added, "I probably wouldn't because it's only been a few weeks since he got back from New York and he's still pretty down about it."

"Still?" Nick asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He's better, but he isn't back to normal. He's fine when we're together, but I can tell that he's still pretty down when either he or I have to leave."

Nick resisted his urge to roll his eyes at the obvious clue about Blaine's feelings for Sebastian in the statement. How could it be that someone as intelligent as Sebastian could be so stupid about the whole situation?

"Well, if you ask me—"

"I'm not," Sebastian interrupted.

"Oh, look how many fucks I give?" Nick asked in an exaggerated, excited tone as he held his empty hands up to Sebastian's face: "That's right, none."

Sebastian snorted.

"If you ask me, I think he's plenty ready for you to broach the subject. I'm not saying you have to pee on him and claim him to be yours right there and then, but I think it's safe for you to bring up the possibility of taking things beyond a friendship," Nick said, tilting his head as if it might help him read Sebastian's mind.

"I just don't want to screw this up," Sebastian sighed in defeat. "Things are going so well. I don't want to do something wrong and scare him off."

"Well, he's seen you first thing in the morning. If that doesn't scare him off, I don't think anything else will," Nick teased as he bumped Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian smiled as he thought of how Blaine looked first thing in the morning. "Crack head hair…" he mumbled to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sebastian smiled, thinking about his own inside joke.

— **Glee —**

The door to the Lima Bean rang as Sebastian walked through the doorway. He headed over to the counter and placed his order for two drinks, smiling as he easily recited Blaine's favorite drink order. He thought the shorter boy might enjoy the small surprise.

The two had plans to meet up later that evening, but Sebastian didn't see the harm in showing up a little early, especially if he came with a cup of Blaine's favorite coffee. He drummed his fingers on the counter as he hummed the latest Warbler tune while waiting for his order.

He scanned the room quickly, seeing if anyone of interest caught his eye when he spotted a lone Tina Cohen-Chang in the corner of the shop. She was taking a drink from her mug when their eyes met for the briefest of seconds. It was as if their eyes meeting somehow caused them both physical pain, because both quickly looked away.

Sebastian accepted his two cups of coffee and turned to walk out. He paused right before he exited the door, chewed his lip, and then turned slightly to his right, seeing Tina trying very hard not to look in his direction as she read her book.

Sebastian slowly and reluctantly made his way over to her table. He cleared his throat in slight annoyance after standing next to her for a few seconds without any sign of acknowledgement.

Tina looked up slowly, pausing as if she didn't know whether or not she wanted to actually say her next words.

"Hi Sebastian."

"Hi," Sebastian answered in what he hoped was a cool and confident tone. If he were being honest, he would say that he was completely uncomfortable with the conversation that they were about to have. He would much rather make a snarky comment and then walk away with her shouting profanities at him.

"Do you have a moment?" he asked, giving her the opportunity to end their moment of awkwardness.

"…Sure."

Sebastian thought he almost heard a question in her response.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know you're not my biggest fan, and rightfully so, but I just wanted to first apologize for what I said to you the other week here when I was with Blaine."

Sebastian almost laughed at the shocked look on Tina's face. He held back his reaction, knowing that laughing after saying an apology didn't usually send the best message.

"I know it upset you and I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to offend you, as hard as that may be to believe," he quickly added when he saw her expression change, "I just thought I was doing Blaine a favor. We were all clearly uncomfortable being at the same table. Instead of doing the gentlemanly thing and removing myself from the equation and letting you two enjoy each other's company, I was selfish and said something that I knew would make you leave. That was wrong of me and for that, I'm sorry."

There was a formalness to Sebastian's speech, a removal from his normal language and tone. Apologies weren't something that he was comfortable with, or even used to. He waited patiently for Tina to respond to his apology. It seemed as though the girl needed some time to pick her jaw up off the ground.

"What's the second thing you wanted to say?" she asked.

"What?" Sebastian asked, not expecting that response.

"You said you wanted to first apologize to me. What else did you want to say?"

Sebastian hesitated, knowing that his next subject was even more uncomfortable than the first. Apologizing was one thing, but to actually show appreciation to someone else was a whole other level of "I don't want" for Sebastian.

"I wanted to say thank you for the friend you've been to Blaine through his whole break up."

If Tina was surprised by his first little speech, he didn't know what word could describe her after his last statement.

"I know he was your friend first and that you didn't do anything for my benefit, but I consider him a really good friend and you've definitely made his life a lot easier by being there for him. He told me how you picked him up from the airport when I couldn't after he broke up with Kurt. I don't really expect you to believe any of this, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. Your level of loyalty towards him is impressive and I just want you to know that I think you're a really good friend to him."

He fought the urge to play with the cups in his hand or chew on his lip, his usual tell for being uncomfortable or nervous. The fact that Tina was studying him closely didn't seem to help his nerves. Why couldn't he just throw one of the cups of hot liquid in her face and call it a day?

_...This whole "being nice" thing can be exhausting…_

"Well," she began, "that definitely wasn't what I was expecting."

She stared at him for a few seconds, conducting her own evaluation of his sincerity and intentions before continuing, "Why don't you take a seat?"

Sebastian effectively squashed his body's desperate need to shake as he put the two cups of coffee on the table and lowered himself onto the seat.

"Can I be honest?" she asked once he was sitting across from her. At his shrug, she continued speaking.

"I don't think I've ever liked you. When I first met you, you were this ass of a guy who was trying to break Kurt and Blaine up. After that, you were the ass who threw rock salts in Blaine's face and almost blinded him. After that you were one of the ass bullies who made Karofsky want to kill himself. After _that_, you were the racist ass who made that Asian comment to me right in front of my friend."

Sebastian swallowed his reflex to shoot a sarcastic comment back at her. It wasn't the time to let the old Sebastian come out and play.

"And that's completely fair," Sebastian said calmly without breaking eye contact.

Tina looked at him for a few more seconds before continuing, "But all that being said, there's something about you right now that makes me want to believe you."

Sebastian did a double take, not expecting that response.

"Blaine has gone on and on about how you've changed. I didn't believe him at first, especially after your little Asian comment, but for some stupid and crazy reason…I believe everything you just said." Her words came out carefully, as though she was selecting each individual word before it came out of her mouth.

"Thank you," Sebastian said, "That's honestly more than I expected."

"I feel like the old Sebastian would've expected me to forgive him immediately and fall at his feet, grateful that he even spoke to me," Tina smirked.

Sebastian laughed as he responded, "Well, there's still time for that."

"Don't hold your breath," Tina countered. "Or maybe, do. Maybe I'll get lucky and you'll pass out."

"She said without the slightest hint of sarcasm," Sebastian returned.

He was honestly surprised by how comfortable he suddenly felt. It wasn't easy for him to let his guard down around people. They had to earn that from them, and most usually failed. But the way Tina had helped Blaine had really impressed him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tina asked.

Sebastian once again bit back his natural display of sarcasm: "Go for it."

"What's going on between you and Blaine?"

Sebastian froze at her words. That was not something he expected to have to answer when he started the conversation.

"I mean, I know he just broke up with Kurt and everything, but you two have been hanging out non-stop ever since, even before that. He says it's nothing, but it's obvious that he's lying, so what is it?" Tina leaned back in her seat and waited for Sebastian's response, noting the small smile that he had when she said she didn't believe Blaine when he said "nothing".

"He's telling the truth. There isn't some secret there that we're hiding. You're right, he just broke up with Kurt. The last thing he or I need is for this to turn into a rebound," Sebastian shrugged as he too leaned back in his seat. He wasn't about to let Tina put him on the defensive.

"Ahh…so you _do_ like him," she said with a smile.

Sebastian's body became rigid as he frowned in confusion. "Wh—how did you even come up with that?"

"You don't want to be a rebound which means you're not just after sex with him. You actually like him," Tina explained as she leaned forward, waiting for his response.

Sebastian's mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to think of a response that didn't make him look like a 12-year-old girl. He was completely aware of how stupid he looked and how transparent he was being. He had always dismissed Blaine's claims that Tina was a very perceptive person. It looked as though he was experiencing her abilities firsthand.

"Clearly neither of you is ready to admit that there's something there, so I'll just back off."

Sebastian breathed out in relief.

"…After I say this last little bit," she said before adding, "I'm not saying that I'm all for you two getting together, because you still honestly make me a little nervous…_but_, I will admit that Blaine gets this really stupid smile on his face whenever we talk about you and that is something that I do support. He's gone through a lot and if you make him happy somehow, who am I to tell you to leave him alone?"

Sebastian smiled, despite his effort not to. He nodded his understanding to Tina, thankful that she wasn't forbidding him to see her best friend, not that it'd make much of a difference to him.

"Thank you for your…open mindedness," Sebastian said as he stood up to leave. Tina smiled in return as he picked up his cups, said a quick goodbye, and turned to head back to the door.

"Oh, and Sebastian!"

Sebastian turned around when he heard Tina calling his name. He saw her, still seated at her table with a friendly smile.

"If this is all some game and you're just planning on hurting him, I _will_ cut you."

Sebastian laughed and nodded his understanding. She certainly was feisty. Maybe Tina Cohen-Chang wasn't so bad after all.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian walked into the choir room at McKinley to find Blaine sitting on the piano bench, eyes concentrating on the music in front of him. Sebastian could hear the sound of a few notes being played and Blaine humming along absentmindedly. Blaine hadn't yet noticed that he had a visitor in the room. Sebastian propped himself against the doorframe, appreciating the sight in front of him. Blaine was always someone who was aware that he was being watched, so his actions and words were always careful and practiced. He and Blaine had that that in common. It was a rarity for Blaine to be so unconcerned with his surroundings. Sebastian took in the sight before him. He liked the way that Blaine's eyebrows scrunched together as if he were solving the world's biggest problem and the way that his tongue played with the inside of his right cheek. There was something so simple and pure in that moment that Sebastian knew he had to commit it to memory.

"Sounding good, Killer," Sebastian smiled as he watched Blaine look up from his sheet music, blushing slightly at the intrusion.

"Sebastian…I didn't know you were here," a small smile tugged at his lips. "I thought we weren't meeting until 6:30?" Blaine asked as he tilted his head, searching his memory for the conversation that he must have forgotten.

"We aren't," Sebastian explained as he held up Blaine's coffee, "but I thought you might not mind if I came bearing gifts." He smiled as he handed Blaine the thermos.

"And it's even in an official Lima Bean thermos," Blaine laughed as he accepted the mug with a whispered "thank you" and smile.

"Yeah, well I had them make it extra hot and put it in one of their thermoses so that it would still be hot when I finally got it to you," Sebastian fought back the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks and neck at the sight of the look that he was getting from Blaine.

…_Blushing is for poor people…_

"You bought this thermos so my coffee would still be hot?" Blaine asked with an unreadable look on his face.

Sebastian frowned, suddenly feeling very stupid for his decision. It was overkill. "Yeah, well…it's a good thing I did, I went to your house and you weren't there, so I took a chance that you'd still be here at school…" Sebastian chewed on his lip as he looked anywhere in the room except for Blaine's eyes.

"…and it's a good thing I did too. Making me drive all over Lima like that. Your coffee would be ice cold by now…" Sebastian's voice trailed off as he walked towards the white board with the word "duets" on it, pretending that he was interested in his surroundings, hoping that the subject would be changed.

"That's surprisingly sweet, Sebastian," he heard Blaine say from his spot on the piano bench.

"Yeah, well I guess life is a numbers game. Even I have to do something nice every once in awhile, right?" Sebastian turned around and delivered one of his famous smirks and winks towards Blaine.

Blaine smiled in response, "Don't sell yourself short, Smythe. You've done plenty of nice things for me."

"And you better not tell anyone about them. I have a douche bag image to uphold," Sebastian responded with a slight wave of his hand and an exaggeratedly serious tone.

"Oh don't worry," Blaine laughed to himself, "I don't think most people would believe me, even if I told them."

The two boys just took a minute and took the other in. There was a comfortable silence in the room as they just smiled at each other, appreciating the other's presence. Sebastian was the first to pull out of the moment.

"So what are you working on?" Sebastian asked as he slid onto the piano bench, flush against Blaine's thigh since the other boy didn't budge from his spot on the middle of the bench.

"Oh nothing," Blaine said dismissively.

"Really? Because all that music on the paper seems to tell me a different story," Sebastian teased as he bumped Blaine's shoulder with his own. "Why so shy all of a sudden?"

"I'm not shy," Blain defended, "it's just a song. No big deal."

"Well, looks like I got here just in time. Let me hear it."

Blaine went to grab the music of the piano, but was stopped when Sebastian gripped his wrist and stopped him. The curly haired boy turned his head, trembling ever so slightly in the other's hold.

"What's going on with you?" Sebastian asked in confusion. Blaine wasn't normally this shy or jumpy. Something was wrong.

"Nothing, I just don't want to sing right now," Blaine said as he got up from his spot on the piano bench.

Sebastian watched his friend closely. "Since when is Blaine Warbler ever not in the mood to sing? I wouldn't be surprised if you popped out of your mom singing Diana Ross' _I'm Coming Out_."

Sebastian smiled when he saw the desired effect of his words appear on Blaine's lips: a smile.

"Come on. What type of former Warbler are you if you refuse an invitation to perform? Think of the scandal you'd cause at Dalton! Students would be heart broken, audiences would weep in misery, entire civilizations would crumble at the injustice of it all!"

Blaine was smirking and shaking his head in amusement as Sebastian climbed on top of the piano bench and was shaking his fists in the air.

"Think of the children Blaine Anderson…think of the children!"

Blaine laughed, thankful that school was out and no one would walk in to see Sebastian making a fool out of himself, though he doubted Sebastian would ever pull this stunt if anyone else were in sight.

"Really? Civilizations will crumble?" Blaine asked as he walked up to Sebastian, looked up at his face still elevated by the piano bench, and poked him in the stomach. "Doesn't that seem a bit dramatic?"

Sebastian merely smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "And everything else wasn't?" he challenged.

"I think you need to do it Blaine," Brittany said for a corner of the room.

"Brittany!"

"What the fuuu—"

The two boys shouted at the same time; Blaine spinning around and Sebastian falling off the bench at the unexpected voice.

Brittany S. Pierce looked over from her spot on the chair with that normal blank expression on her face.

"If you don't how could you live with yourself? I mean, I'd feel bad if a bunch of kids died because of me," came her monotone voice, completely unaffected by the reaction she got from both boys.

Blaine turned to see Sebastian pick himself off the ground before turning back to his fellow glee club member.

"Brittany, what are you doing here? School's over. You should be at Cheerios practice right now," Blaine explained slowly, extremely uncomfortable that Brittany had apparently been in the room with him the entire time without his knowledge.

"I tried to go, but I'm pretty sure Lord Tubbington put something in my protein shake this morning. I can't move my legs. I think he's trying to kill me," she explained as though she were telling them that the sky was blue. "Has he said anything to you about it?"

"Brittany, it's almost 5. Were you just going to sit there all weekend?" Blaine asked.

"No, Carl usually comes in here around 6. He usually helps me if I'm still here."

"Who's Carl?" Sebastian asked, completely confused by the mentally retarded girl in the cheerleader uniform.

"The janitor," she answered as she stared at him.

"Who's Lord Tubbington?" Sebastian asked, confused by the look that Blaine was directing at him.

"My cat."

Sebastian was becoming more and more confused as things were explained. "Why would he be trying to kill you?"

"Because I hid his cigarettes and told our parents about his ecstasy problem. He didn't understand when I tried to explain that I only did it because I love him. I told him that I had already called Promises, the clinic where Iron Man went to get help, but they said they wouldn't accept cats because they're animists."

Brittany pulled out a juice box from her backpack and took a drink.

"Animists?" Sebastian directed his question at Blaine who only shrugged and shook his head.

"It's like a racist, but with animals," she looked a little confused at Sebastian's confusion. "Your brother looks confused, did I make up a word again? Is that not right?"

"Uhh…Sebastian isn't my brother Brittany…and yes, you did."

"Oh," Brittany said as she stood up, "then why's he wearing a Warbler uniform?"

"I go to Dalton, this is the school uniform there," Sebastian explained, trying not to laugh at the scandalized expression on Blaine's face.

"I always thought the Warblers were your brothers," Brittany said as she picked up her backpack and juice box.

"No Brittany, they're just the glee club at Dalton, like we're the club here at McKinley. Besides, some of those guys are Asian, Black, and Hispanic. How could they all be my brothers?" Blaine tried to explain.

"Wow, I didn't think you of all people would let skin color stop someone from being your brother. I think you need to be more open-minded Blaine Warbler. This is the thirty-first century," Brittany said as she calmly walked out of the room.

After she left, Sebastian turned to Blaine, "So wh—"

"Don't ask," Blaine replied before Sebastian could even finish his question, "Brittany's just a little…different."

"I didn't notice," Sebastian smiled as he took his seat, "but you heard the girl. You need to sing your song."

"Why are you so hung up on my singing this song?" Blaine asked as he moved over to his things that he had left on one of the chairs.

"Well at first I was just making conversation, but your spazzing out just makes it amusing now," Sebastian said as he reached over and pulled the music out of Blaine's hands and propped it on the piano despite the protests coming from behind him.

"I can't anyway, there's no pianist," Blaine said as he put his hands on his hips.

"You mean that creepy guy with the glasses who always appears out of nowhere to play for you guys?" Sebastian asked.

"His name is Brad," Blaine answered.

Both boys turned their heads and scanned the room, then laughed once they saw the other.

"You were looking for him too, weren't you?" Sebastian asked between his laughter. Blaine nodded as he too was laughing. Sebastian smiled and pulled a pair of glasses out of his blazer's pocket and smiled at Blaine in victory.

"Looks like you have no more excuses. Four-eyed piano player reporting for duty," Sebastian saluted as he turned and started playing the intro to the song.

"I didn't know you played the piano or that you wore glasses," Blaine said as he stepped up to the piano and leaned against it.

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises. And tell you what, I'll even sing with you. But know that this is one of the only times you'll hear me singing the girl's part in a duet. I prefer boy parts, not girl parts," Sebastian said with a wink and his Smythe smile.

He looked at Blaine before opening his mouth and breathing out a smooth melody.

_[Sebastian]  
__Call the justice of the peace,  
__But don't tell him our names.  
__Don't put out a press release  
Or mention baseball games_

_[Blaine]  
Book the nearest bridal suite  
One room will suit us fine  
For the desk clerk that we'll meet  
The only autograph we'll sign is..._

_[Both]  
Mr. and Mrs. Smith,  
Simply the folks next door._

_[Blaine]  
People without a single clue what  
An agent or grip is for_

_[Sebastian]  
Yes_

_[Both]  
Nothing can beat the view  
When as far as the eye can see there's..._

_[Blaine]  
No one but _Mr.

_[Sebastian]  
No one but Mr._

_[Both]  
Smith and me_

_[Blaine]  
For a home the man provides  
That cottage built for two.  
We'll check the small-town classifieds  
Variety won't do__._

_[Sebastian]  
Then we'll move to Mainstreet USA  
And sign the deed of trust.  
The mailbox at our hideaway  
Will tell the whole wide world that we're just..._

_[Both]  
Mr. and _Mr. _Smith,  
Merely the folks next door._

_[Blaine]  
People who use their kitchen each night_

_[Sebastian]  
Who've never been into chores_

_[Blaine]  
Yeah_

_[Both]  
Nothing can beat the view  
For as far as the eye can see there's_

_[Blaine]  
No one but _Mr.

_[Sebastian]  
No one but Mr._

_[Both]  
Smith and me._

_No early calls, no big premieres,  
No lush romantic things.  
We'll spend our nights making our own  
Little league baseball team..._

_We're no one you've ever seen_

_[Sebastian]  
Movie stars don't live anywhere here,  
Except on the local drive-in screen_

_[Both]  
Yes, I'd gladly disappear  
If it might guarantee a view of..._

_[Blaine]  
No one but Mr._

_[Sebastian]  
No one but _Mr.

_[Both]  
Smith and you._

As Sebastian's final notes were played and hung in the air, both boys were fully aware of their closeness to one another. During the song, the two had inched closer and closer to one another until their sides were pressed tightly together. Sebastian took his eyes off the music to turn and look at Blaine. When he turned his head, he realized how incredibly close their were, finding Blaine's eyes staring back at him only a few inches away.

He saw the look in Blaine's eyes, a look that he had only seen glimpses of before. He thought he knew what that look was, but he was scared to let himself pointlessly hope in that possibility.

He could feel Blaine's breath on his neck as he continued to look at Blaine, silently pleading with the other boy to say something, do something. Both boys just sat on the bench, bodies pressed together, both unwilling to be the first to speak.

Sebastian's heart began beating even faster when he saw Blaine's eyes flicker down to his lips before coming back up, holding an unspoken question. He subconsciously licked his lips, anticipating what was about to happen.

Taking his cue from Blaine, Sebastian started to slowly inch his face closer towards Blaine, eyes trained on the other boy as he saw his hazel orbs flutter shut as he too began moving forward. Sebastian swore his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest as he closed his eyes, anticipating the sensation of Blaine's lips…

"_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on…"_

Both boys jumped in surprise at the ringtone that had suddenly filled the silent room. Blaine blushed as he reached to silence the phone that was sitting on the piano where he had left it.

"Sorry…" Blaine apologized as he played with the phone in his hand.

"N—no," Sebastian said, "it…it's fine. No apologies…necessary."

The mood in the room had instantaneously become very uncomfortable. The two boys busied themselves by scratching their necks, fiddling with their fingers, laughing, and awkwardly smiling at each other.

"So…we were about to…kiss…" Blaine said, stretching each word out, afraid to say them out loud.

"Yeah…you were going to kiss me," Sebastian lightly joked.

"What!?" Blaine exclaimed as he hit Sebastian on the shoulder.

"OW!" Sebastian yelled at the contact. He suddenly remembered Blaine talking about all the boxing workouts that he did.

"You were the one who was going to kiss me!" Blaine defended himself, smirking slightly at the scowl that was on Sebastian's face.

"Well someone had to have the balls to do it. You were practically all over me during that song."

"Was not!" Blaine protested.

"Right, you're telling me you were mentally undressing me with your eyes at the end there?" Sebastian countered with his own smirk.

"Leave it to you to turn a perfectly sweet moment into one about sex," Blaine rolled his eyes as he moved to stand up from the bench. Before he was able to fully stand up, he felt Sebastian grip his arm again and pull him back down.

"Don't go," Sebastian breathed out as he smiled at Blaine.

"Give me one good reason wh—"

Blaine was never able to finish his sentence before Sebastian brought their lips together in a kiss that sent shivers throughout their bodies. It was a kiss whose journey began weeks ago in a small coffee shop, a kiss that held so many unspoken feelings and desires.

Fire alarms could have gone off, Carl could have walked in, civilizations could have crumbled and the two would not have noticed. All that mattered to them in that single, special moment was the feeling of the other's soft lips against their own.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that concludes another chapter from Yours Truly. They finally kissed! Shocker! I know. It took me forever and a half to break up Kurt and Blaine, I figured I shouldn't take such a long time to get the boys together. Don't worry, they're not going to be proclaiming their undying love for one another quiet yet, but I figured two weeks was enough time for Blaine to be ok with kissing Sebastian. **

**Thank you to you all who reviewed, followed, and favorited me and my little dog and pony show here since my last update: BelaGray (my first reviewer for chapter 13!), RHatch89, shweirbones, Forever Gleek2000, anikiti88, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, anderpson (obligatory: ICON!), TVTime (x7…Woohoo! Reviews!), Chewi.x, RoseCriss, Adrienne, BelugaLoki, FriskiFriar (my 150****th**** review!), forgettheworld, riseofthephoenix21286, zutarachick1408, Skellion, and thisfeedsmyprocrastination (loving the name btw). I would also like to say a special thank you for RoseCriss and WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks for being very outspoken in their disdain for my comment to them that I probably wouldn't update this weekend. Please send any gratitude to them because I probably wouldn't have written anything until next weekend were it not for them.**

**So what did you guys think? I threw a little Nick and Tina action in there. I felt like Nick had become a stranger in this fic and that Tina needed her turn to step up. Now that I've properly introduced her and Sebastian to one another, look out for that relationship to develop as well. I still need to get Nick and Blaine together in one scene so that the four can run around with each other. I dedicated this chapter to Sebastian since Blaine had sort of dominated the chapters in New York. I wanted to keep things balanced. **

**I'm kind of drawing a blank as to what should happen next. I know that I want to address the kiss in the next chapter, but I'm not sure what else. What would you guys like to see? For those of you who've made suggestions in the past, you know that I do my best to work them in where I can, so keep them coming! Help a guy out!**

**Thank you to all of you who are reading and reviewing. I'm definitely the type of person to leave project unfinished, so your support has definitely helped me in sticking this out, 14 chapters later. If you could take a minute and leave a review with your thoughts, I would be very grateful. I love for those little email notifications my phone gets after I post one of these. Thanks to all of you! And shame on you who don't! LOL…just kidding. **

**Until next time!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Who friggin' knows? Not me…**

**P.S. The song in this chapter was "Mrs. and Mrs. Smith" from the TV show "Smash." Go youtube it. It's a great song and will help you picture the scene better in your head. I (obviously) made some very minor lyric changes to make it more applicable to the boys. You'll notice that they're the words that **_**aren't**_** italicized. **


	15. The First Date

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So this (obviously) picks up right where chapter fourteen left off. The second half of the chapter takes place the weekend of Thanksgiving (i.e. Saturday, not the actually holiday itself). That's all!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee, just my imagination.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Fifteen: The First Date**

Blaine leaned further into the kiss, completely unaware of all the frustrations that he had been holding in the past few weeks. It was as if this kiss provided permission for him to let go of it all. He pulled back slightly when he felt Sebastian ending the kiss. He looked at the other boy, at the emerald orbs a mere two inches away from him. There was a smile in those eyes, and not the Sebastian Smythe smirk that he usually saw, but a pure unaffected smile that was completely new to him.

This time, it was Blaine who initiated the kiss. He crashed his lips back onto Sebastian. He wrapped his arms around the taller boy as he furrowed his brows, feeling those amazing sensations all over again. Blaine felt himself getting lost in the kiss. He didn't know how long they sat there, pressing their lips against one another, exploring each other's mouths with their tongues, and tracing each other's bodies with their hands.

"That was…" Blaine's voice trailed off in a whisper as he pulled himself away from the other boy.

"…amazing?" Sebastian offered with that dopey smile a person only wore after a kiss.

Blaine smiled teasingly, "Why thank you. I guess I am a pretty good kisser."

Sebastian laughed and smirked, ending his smile that had melted Blaine only a short time before, "Well, don't you think highly of yourself. Should I go out and buy a bumper sticker that says 'I just kissed Blaine Anderson'?"

"No," Blaine replied as he leaned back onto the bench, "the gift shop sold out of those weeks ago. Besides, I get the feeling that you aren't the type to shower a guy with compliments. Something tells me I'm going to have to take them when they're given."

He saw Sebastian's expression change into something that he couldn't read.

"You are possibly the most amazing person that I have ever met, Blaine Anderson."

The combination of his words and his expression made Blaine happy that he was already sitting down. He wouldn't have been surprised if his legs buckled beneath him in that moment. The sincerity in Sebastian's eyes really struck him. It seemed as if kissing Sebastian Smythe had somehow unlocked a different side of him.

"How's that for a compliment?"

Blaine swallowed back the emotions and thoughts running through him: "That's…a pretty solid one…" he choked out. He cursed his shocked reaction when he saw Sebastian smirk in his victory.

Blaine couldn't help but look at the boy in front of him, the cocky façade that he wore for the world to see. Yes, he did let Blaine in at times, allowing himself to be open and vulnerable, but there was still so much of Sebastian that Blaine didn't know, and didn't know if he'd ever truly know.

It made him nervous. He just kissed Sebastian and he knew that he held genuine emotions for the taller boy, but he wondered what was happening in his head. Did Sebastian feel the same way? Was this viewed as just another "hook up"? Was this just the culmination of his constant efforts from when they first met? The last thought, Blaine immediately dismissed. They had been through too much together for this to just be a young boy's conquest. But that still left him in an unknown place, unsure of where to go.

"I need to ask you something, and I'm not exactly sure how to say it?" Blaine said, his hesitance demonstrated by the slow speed of his words and the silence in between them.

Sebastian's expression changed once again. The smirk was replaced by a neutral expression. Blaine knew that look, it as a mask of Sebastian's. Wheels were turning in the Warbler's head, but what those thoughts were, Blaine didn't know. Blaine breathed in deeply when Sebastian gave a slight nod of affirmation, recognition of his words.

"What was that?"

"Well, Blaine," Sebastian started with a patronizing tone and his trademark smirk, "that was a kiss. When two boys…"

"Come on Sebastian, be serious," Blaine replied, none too pleased with Sebastian's deflection.

There was that mask again, Blaine thought as Sebastian schooled his expression.

"It was a kiss," the Warbler replied evenly.

"I know that much Sebastian, but did it mean. Why did you kiss me?" Blaine pressed. He watched as Sebastian began to frown and turn away from him.

"I wanted to. I don't know. Why do we have to sit here and analyze this? Why can't I just kiss you without having to sit and talk about my feelings like some middle school girl?" Sebastian snapped back as he stood from the piano bench and walked across the room.

"It's not like I'm asking you to braid my hair and freeze my bra Sebastian, I just want to know what just happened."

"I don't know what happened. I wanted to kiss you. It looked like…you wanted to kiss me too, so I did. That's it. I don't what you want me to say," Sebastian said as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"I just don't want to read too much into this," Blaine whispered.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked as his head snapped up.

"Well it's not like you don't have a reputation for hooking up with guys. I…" Blaine hesitated, "…I just don't want to be just another guy that you fooled around with."

Blaine held his breath at what he had just said. He had just laid his heart out on the line. He cursed himself for being so foolish, for allowing himself into this position just a few weeks after having his heart torn apart by Kurt. What was he doing? This was stupid. Sebastian wasn't the boyfriend type. He wasn't the prince charming that provided a happily ever after.

He watched as a small smile tugged at Sebastian's lips.

"I think we'd have to fool around first for that to happen, Killer," Sebastian responded softly.

"You know what I meant," Blaine said.

"I do and I would be a lot more offended if it wasn't true, the reputation part at least," Sebastian said, walking over from his seat on the chair. "Look Blaine, I'm not Hummel. I've never really done the whole "feelings" thing. My longest relationship lasted about 20 minutes..."

Blaine studied Sebastian while taking in his words: "…I'm not sure if you're apologizing or trying to get me to run out of here screaming?"

Sebastian sighed in frustration, "I just…I don't know what to say. You're not some random guy, Blaine. I can tell you that much. Beyond that..." he paused, "…beyond that isn't something that I really know a lot about..."

The hesitance in Sebastian's voice made Blaine want to both smile and frown at the same time. He knew that this fear was something that very few people, if any, had ever seen in the normal cool and collected boy. He also knew that Sebastian's inexperience could only result in numerous arguments, hurt feelings, and mistakes. Was it prudent to not explore something with the boy because of that, or was it cowardice?

"I just broke up with Kurt, Sebastian. I don't know if I'm quite ready to really go there with someone yet." He studied Sebastian's face, looking for some small hint of a reaction.

"That's fair, and if I'm being honest, I don't really know that I can be that Prince Charming that I know you have pictured in your mind," Sebastian admitted. "Not yet, at least."

Blaine smiled, liking the fact that Sebastian knew him so well, "That's fair. Why don't we just take things slowly? See where they go?"

"Deal," Sebastian said. "So do we get to do more kissing while we take things slowly?"

Blaine rolled his eyes at the child-like grin on Sebastian's face.

— **Glee —**

_Tina: so wut did YOU do last nite_

_Blaine: Sebastian and I just spent the night at his place. It was pretty low key. We watched some movies and ordered a pizza._

_Tina: another nite with S. should i be asking questions_

_Blaine: …_

_Tina: !_

_Blaine: :-)_

_Tina: !_

_Blaine: I love how we just had a whole conversation only using punctuations._

_Tina: i need details! start talking bitch!_

_Blaine: Nothing happened really. We decided to take things slowly and see where they ended up._

_Tina: im still very unsure of this but he seemed pretty honest when i talked 2 him at the lima bean_

_Blaine: That's something that I'm hesitant about. Plus, you know, there's that whole "I just broke up with my boyfriend 2 weeks ago" thing that I have going on._

_Tina: but ur happy?_

_Blaine: I am. :)_

_Tina: and ur finally admitting that u like him_

_Blaine: I'm admitting that we are exploring things._

_Tina: exploring each others pants u mean!_

_Blaine: No! Pants stayed on, thank you very much. We aren't talking about Mike's visits._

_Tina: speaking of pants coming off…_

_Blaine: Tina!_

_Tina: ;-)_

— **Glee —**

_Sebastian: So how'd the date go last night?_

_Nick: I feel like I should be asking you the same question._

_Sebastian: ?_

_Nick: You just asked me about my life without any prompting. Either someone stole your phone and is playing a prank on me, or you and Blaine had a good time last night._

_Sebastian: It was on Friday, but you first._

_Nick: It was pretty good. Her parents are out of town so we went back to her place and had some fun._

_Sebastian: …and I suddenly lost interest in your story._

_Nick: Color me shocked._

_Sebastian: Maybe you just need to come up with better stories?_

_Nick: My story included sex! How do you get better than that?"_

_Sebastian: Gay sex._

_Nick: Well I hate to disappoint you, but I don't think any of that will ever make it into my stories._

_Sebastian: And now all my hopes and dreams are dead. R.I.P._

_Nick: I am the cause of many a gay wet dream. It's a burden, really. A heavy weight I must bear._

_Sebastian: Such a tough life you lead._

_Nick: So what about you?_

_Sebastian: Well I had some fun of my own last night._

_Nick: Masturbation doesn't count._

_Sebastian: It does the way I do it._

_Nick: How can I convey the fact that I'm rolling my eyes right now?_

_Sebastian: Besides, I was referring to what I did with Blaine last night._

_Nick: You masturbated with Blaine?_

_Sebastian: Yeah, to pictures of you._

_Nick: I'm glad I could bring you two closer together! ;)_

_Nick: But in reality? _

_Sebastian: I kissed him._

_Nick: And no restraining order! I'm impressed!_

_Nick: So where does that leave you two? What are you?_

Sebastian: You sound like him.

_Nick: You mean you kissed the guy and he asked what it meant? That's crazy talk right there._

_Sebastian: This is what I'm saying._

_Nick: Did you tell him you're hopelessly in love with him?_

_Sebastian: Why would I tell him that?_

_Nick: Because you are._

_Sebastian: Don't you think it's a little early to be using that word?_

_Nick: We're in high school. We can meet someone, start dating, use that word, consummate the relationship, break up, screw their best friend, then get back together all within the span of a week. Don't you watch TV?_

_Sebastian: I'm metaphorically walking away from this conversation._

_Nick: No worries, I just spotted a certain someone coming up the street._

Nick pocketed his phone as he yelled, "Hey! Blaine!"

Blaine slowed down when he saw his former schoolmate wave his arms. He smiled as he pulled his ear buds out and walked over.

"Nick! How are you?" Blaine said as he walked over and gave his friend a quick hug. He did his best to catch his breath after running his first few miles. "I haven't seen you in forever. How are things?"

Nick smiled as he answered, "Good. Real good. How about you?"

Blaine smiled as he responded, telling Nick about his life since he left Dalton. The two passed the time catching up and sharing stories. Blaine couldn't wipe the smile off his face. When they were at Dalton together, he and Nick hadn't been especially close. They were of course in the same classes and spent time together during Warbler practice, but had never really become anything more than close acquaintances. Most of what Blaine now knew about Nick was through Sebastian and his stories of their time together. Blaine had been happy to see Sebastian take such a liking to the other Warbler. He knew Sebastian's personality usually left him separated from people, so he was always happy to hear stories about Nick.

"So Sebastian said you're dating some girl from Crawford?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, sort of. It's nothing too serious, but we're having fun," Nick replied as he threw the ball again, watching his dog chase after it. "Speaking of, I hear I'm not the only one having some fun?"

"And exactly what are you insinuating there?" Blaine asked with a slight blush, hoping that his flushed cheeks would camouflage his embarrassment.

"Sebastian told me about Friday night," Nick shared as he slapped Blaine's shoulder. "I know we haven't talked too much lately, but I hope it's ok he's been keeping me updated on things."

Blaine smiled as he nodded, "Of course. You guys are friends now. I guess it only makes sense for him to talk about things."

"So do I need to give you the whole "if you break his heart" speech? Or can I trust that you'll take care of our Warbler?" Nick asked in a teasing tone of voice.

Blaine laughed as he assured Nick that the speech was premature. Truth be told, he was a little uncomfortable with the fact that Sebastian was sharing news of their kiss with other people, but he couldn't say anything without sounding like a hypocrite since he told Tina.

The two talked a little longer before Blaine made his excuses.

"Well I have to finish this jog because my teachers felt like the best way to spend my Wednesday evening was doing ridiculous amounts of homework."

Nick smiled and assured Blaine that he understood. "So now that we bumped into each other, we have to hang out sometime. Maybe we could do a double date at a movie or something?"

"Oh," Blaine laughed, "I don't know if Sebastian is the double date type of guy."

Nick laughed at Blaine's response, "You have a point. Well, I'll mention it to him and see what he says. Who knows, maybe he'll be for it?"

— **Glee —**

"I still have no idea how you two convinced me this was a good idea," Sebastian complained as he and Blaine stood outside the movie theatre. "And they're late. You'd think that they'd have the decency to at least be on time to the date that they insisted on having."

Blaine rolled his eyes for what he assumed might have been the hundreth time that evening. It was beyond his ability to understand, but Sebastian had adamantly refused to go on a date with Nick and his girlfriend. It took some convincing, and some bribery of going to Scandals afterward, but Sebastian eventually agreed.

"Calm down. Why are you so against this? You'd swear that I was asking you to drown puppies with me or something," Blaine replied.

He was saved another sarcastic remark from Sebastian when he saw Nick and his date approaching.

"Sorry we're late," Nick called out as they walked up to the other couple, "but I hit some traffic on the way to Anna's house. And by the way, this is Anna, guys." Nick introduced her to the two boys and everyone smiled politely and shook hands (though it may have taken an elbow into Sebastian's side for him to be civil).

"It's so nice to meet you finally, Sebastian. Nick talks about you all the time," Anna said with a smile.

Sebastian smirked as he replied, "He's a little obsessed with me. I hope it doesn't make you jealous."

The two laughed as Nick and Blaine shared a look. The group made their way to the ticket counter. Sebastian and Blaine waited while Nick paid for his and Anna's tickets. When it was their turn, they walked up together to the window.

"Hi, can we have two tickets for Pitch Perfect?" Blaine asked as he pulled his wallet out. Before he could give the theatre employee his credit card, Sebastian beat him and handed over the payment.

"You don't have to do that," Blaine frowned.

"Isn't this a date?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, yeah, but I'm the only who invited you. You shouldn't have to pay," Blaine explained.

"I thought the guy was always supposed to pay for dates? Why should I make you pay?" Sebastian asked.

"I'm a guy too, you know" Blaine countered.

"Yeah, but if you pay then that makes me the girl and I don't want to be the girl," Sebastian explained slowly as if he were talking to a retarded child.

"So you want me to be the girl?" Blaine asked, his annoyance slowly rising.

"No," Sebastian answered, "I just don't want to be the girl."

"Why does there have to be a girl? Why can't we just be two guys going out and one of us happens to pay?" Blaine asked, trying to keep his voice controlled.

"I don't know. You're the one who's done this whole dating thing before. Why are you asking me?" Sebastian shrugged, completely unaware of the levels of frustration he was causing.

"Dude," the ticket worker said, "just let your boyfriend pay. I'd kill to have my girl try to pay for my movie. Shut up and take the free movie Bro. And you're holding up the line."

Sebastian grabbed the tickets as Blaine turned red and walked over to the waiting Nick and Anna who wore identical smirks.

"Having fun there Lucy and Ethel?"

— **Glee —**

Blaine took another sip from his drink as he leaned against the bar. This was his third time visiting Lima's only gay bar. The first time there, he threw himself at Kurt and was rejected. His second visit had him throwing himself at Sebastian and being rejected. He nervously glanced over at Sebastian. He hoped he wouldn't continue his streak of being a sloppy drunk.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Sebastian yelled into Blaine's ear, trying to be heard over the music.

"A deal's a deal. And I haven't been here since the last time we were here. Maybe it'll be fun," he replied.

"Should I warn the bartender to make sure he's stocked up on his drinks? You almost drank them out of business last time," Sebastian joked.

Blaine sarcastically rolled his eyes at the insinuation, though he could feel the beginning effects of the alcohol hit him.

"Don't worry Killer, I won't let you do anything too crazy this time," Sebastian winked as he pulled away from Blaine, having spoken directly into his ear.

Sebastian was still a mystery to Blaine. How was it that he could drive him crazy one minute, like he did at the ticket booth, and then say something so incredibly sweet another? His promise held no sexual innuendos or undertones. It was just a simple promise, and one that Blaine appreciated.

"Thanks, although I'll do my best not to be a sloppy date," Blaine returned. The two smiled at each other, enjoying the moment.

"I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back," Sebastian said before maneuvering his way through the crowded dance floor.

Blaine exhaled as he set his drink down and pulled out his phone: 10:47. They had only been at the bar for ten minutes. He looked around and saw a small number of men giving him appreciative looks. He immediately broke eye contact and turned back to his drink.

…_Hopefully Sebastian doesn't take too long…_

"How's it going tonight?" Blaine heard from his right. He turned and saw the owner of the voice, a guy in his early 20's most likely.

"Uhh…it's going pretty well," Blaine tried to answer politely. Though he had no intention of doing anything with the stranger, being rude was not his style.

"That's good. So what happened to your friend? He just left you. He isn't your boyfriend, is he?"

"Well, no—"

"Good, I was hoping he wasn't. I'm Eli. What's your name?" the stranger, apparently named Eli, asked with a smile.

"I'm Blaine," he replied, offering a half smile and looking over Eli's shoulder for any sign of Sebastian's return.

"So how come I've never seen you around here before Blaine? New to the area?"

Blaine once again answered with a polite, but short response, not asking any follow-up questions. He thought he was doing a fairly good job of displaying his disinterest in Eli. Apparently the other boy was slow on the uptake. Even had Blaine not been there with Sebastian, something about Eli made Blaine uneasy. He seemed like the type of guy who would Facebook you, asking for a hook up.

"So what do you say to a dance, Blaine?" Eli asked.

Blaine was saved from having to answer the question when he felt Sebastian's arm slide around his waist.

"Hey, sorry I took so long. Who's the walking Old Navy commercial?" Sebastian asked as he smiled at Eli, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Uh…this is Eli. Eli, this is my…this is…um…this is Sebastian," Blaine offered clumsily.

"The non-boyfriend Sebastian?" Eli said, returning the glare.

"Whether or not I'm his boyfriend doesn't change the fact that no one wants you here. So why don't you do us a favor and crawl back to your craigslist ads," Sebastian sneered as he quickly led Blaine away from the bar and out the door.

Blaine allowed himself to be taken outside. Once he was there, he felt Sebastian let go of him and walk a few steps away. He had his back towards Blaine as he ran his fingers through his hair. Blaine could hear him breath out.

"Thank you for that," Blaine said.

Sebastian turned around to face him. "Sorry if I overstepped my bounds back there. I kind of just got really pissed off when I saw him talking to you. I know it wasn't really my place to say any of that to him since we aren't exactly…" his voice trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

"No, I'm glad you did. I mean, you could have been nicer to him, but I guess it's the thought that counts," Blaine explained. He didn't address Sebastian's latter statement, unsure himself on how to finish the sentence.

"Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea," Sebastian admitted as he chewed his lip.

"Why?" Blaine asked.

"Well, we're kind of just…friends…and taking you to a place full of guys who want to get in your pants may not have been the best idea."

Blaine smiled as he walked forward and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist and pressed their bodies together. "I doubt that anyone really gave me a second look in there," Blaine said, not mentioning the numerous stares he received before Eli approached him, "but I appreciate the fact that you think of things like that."

"I guess I didn't realize how pissed off I'd be when I saw some guy hitting on you," Sebastian said as he wrapped his arms around Blaine. "God, I sound like such a loser right now."

Blaine laughed into Sebastian's chest, "You're not a loser. You're sweet. And that's possibly one of the nicest things you've said to me." He pulled back from Sebastian's chest and looked up at the taller boy. He smiled as he saw a light blush appear on Sebastian's cheeks.

"Aww, am I making you blush?" he teased.

"No" Sebastian denied, "it's just hot out here. Smythes don't blush. It's too pedestrian."

Blaine laughed even more: "Well why don't we "pedestrian" our way back to your car and go back to your place. We'll finish the night there. How does that sound?"

"That" Sebastian replied, "sounds like a perfect end to the night. Finish the Gossip Girl DVDs…which by the way I will still deny to anyone if they ever ask me about them."

"Really? Because I thought we could go back and have crazy 50 Shades of Grey sex, but I guess a Gossip Girl marathon is fun too," Blaine said with a smile as he opened the car door and got in.

Sebastian was left standing, holding his door open, and processing Blaine's words. He slid into his seat and turned to look at a still grinning Blaine.

"You can have a dirty little mouth, can't you Anderson?" he asked.

Blaine only continued grinning as he shrugged his shoulders, though he couldn't help the blush that dusted his cheeks.

Sebastian laughed when he noticed Blaine being embarrassed by his own joke: "Don't say anything you aren't willing to back up," he replied with a wink.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here it is. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I feel like it's a little different than everything else up to this point. Hopefully you like it. Was the ending too much? I feel like their friendship has really been built on this foundation of sarcastic verbal sparring, so I've taken that into their beginning relationship. **

**Anyone appreciate that Eli cameo? That whole travesty of a story line…I'm still annoyed by it.**

**So again, I would like to thank everyone who took some time to write a review, follow this story, or add this to your favorites. It is much appreciated. Thank you's to: RHatch89 (first, again!), BelaGray, Forever Gleek2000, Chewi.x, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, BelugaLoki, liss, RoseCriss, teenietia, TVTime, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, Ziataslawa, Des, forgettheworld, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, and FriskyFriar. I'll start working on my replies to your reviews as soon as I post this!**

**Once again, I'd love it if you took some time to leave me your thoughts. I always love any feedback, good or bad, or any ideas for things you'd like to see. Thanks for keeping up with this, you guys rock, and hopefully I'll be posting something new for you soon!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: I'm thinking we'll see New Directions perform at Sectionals, Sebastian interacting with them (suggestions!?), and then a little continuation in Sebastian's storyline.**


	16. The Bouquet

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Italics denote a character's thoughts. Also, anyone else hear that Sebastian will be back for 4 episodes? My inner monologue when I read that online: "Oh Lordy, watch them screw this up…"**

**DISCLAIMER: I actually **_**do**_** own the characters and story. I'm Ryan Murphy. Surprise!**

…**..please note the heavy amounts of sarcasm.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Bouquet**

"Hey," Sebastian answered his phone, his "Blaine" smile plastered on his face.

"Hey," Blaine answered, "I didn't know if I'd catch you or not."

"What else would I be doing on a Thursday night if not struggling through some physics homework and eagerly awaiting a call from a certain Mr. Anderson?"

Sebastian smiled as he spoke. He was enjoying the rhythm that his relationship with Blaine was settling into. They both acknowledged that they were dating, but chose not to place any expectations or labels on the other. They were taking their time and not rushing into the white picket fence with their poodle-terrier mixed puppy and adopted Ecuadorian toddler.

"I certainly can't think of anything," he heard Blaine's voice say. "So Mr. Powell is killing you guys?"

"Yeah," Sebastian said as he leaned back into his chair and sighed. "You'd swear he thought he was actually teaching us something useful. I mean it's not like I want to be a physicist and I enjoy _Big Bang Theory _episodes just fine with my limited knowledge. I just want to pass and get out of there."

"I'm surprised you haven't bribed him or tried to sleep with him yet," came Blaine's teasing.

"I've already tried the bribing, he gave me a detention for 'trying to undermine the integrity of a Dalton faculty member'," Sebastian said, doing an exaggerated impression of his physics teacher, "and I'd never be able to get past that coffee smell that rapes my nose whenever he's around. Not worth it in my opinion, I'm not a masochist," Sebastian said as he smirked.

"You know, those types of stories just aren't as funny anymore," Blaine said frowning on his end of the call.

"Sorry," Sebastian quickly apologized, "uhh…no, just doing things the old fashioned way…better?"

"Thanks," Blaine said. "So what are your plans for the weekend?"

"Well Nick wanted to drive out to Columbus and hang out for the night, see what trouble we could get into," Sebastian answered.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Blaine responded, "You think maybe I could tag along?"

Sebastian frowned as he responded. "Well I'd love for you to come, but I think you'll be a little busy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Sebastian responded teasingly, "you have a little thing called 'Sectionals' on Friday. I think it'll be a little hard for you to be in Columbus with us at the same time."

He smiled as he drummed his pencil on the open physics textbook sitting on his desk. Some time had passed without a sound from Blaine. He pulled his phone away from his ear, annoyed that his call had been dropped. He frowned in confusion when he saw the call still showing on his display.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

An answer came a few seconds later: "Yeah, I'm here."

"Oh," Sebastian exhaled, "I thought I lost you, for a second."

"Nope, I'm still here."

"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You sound weird. Is everything OK?" Sebastian chewed on his lip as he stopped tapping his pencil. He leaned forward in his seat, no longer lounging in a display of ease.

He heard a sigh on the other end of the line.

"You're going to Columbus on Friday," came Blaine's reply, almost as if it were a question.

"Yeah, we haven't really hung out too much lately, so we thought we'd just go out and do something," Sebastian explained. He felt like he was on a quiz show and he wasn't giving the correct answer.

"Ah"

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"No, I guess I just thought that you'd want to come to the performance," Blaine said, his sentence divided into sections by his numerous pauses.

Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair as he leaned back again.

"Well, I mean, I just figured that you wouldn't really want me there," he said, hoping that it might be enough to pacify the situation.

"Why wouldn't I want you there?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"I mean…it's not like your friends are my biggest fans or anything," Sebastian said with a little more attitude than he meant. He was becoming slightly annoyed by how Blaine was speaking to him.

"Yeah, but it's not as if I expect you to give them all a hug and offer them a foot rub. I'm not going to make you hang out with them or anything," Blaine snapped back with an equal amount of tension in his voice.

"Oh great, so I get to drive to the slums of Ohio and waste my time just so I can hear you sing. Awesome! And then afterwards, you can not talk to me and go hang out with your friends so we don't have any 'awkward moments'. Awesome plan, really Blaine!"

"Wow," Blaine said, "please Sebastian, tell me how you really feel. I didn't know hearing me sing was a waste of your time."

"Blaine, no, I—"

"And just for the record," Blaine cut-in in a hurt voice, "the guys asked me if I wanted to go to Breadstix afterwards to celebrate our performance, but I told them that you probably had plans for us and to go without me."

The statement cut through Sebastian's heart like a knife. All his anger and annoyance vanished instantly in the cold shower that Blaine's words provided.

"I never planned to ditch you for them. It's actually the opposite."

Sebastian felt like hitting himself repeatedly in the head like a certain House Elf.

"Wait, Blaine, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I just got angry and I said all that without thinking. You know how my mouth likes to do things without checking with my brain, right?"

His question hung in the air, greeted only with silence.

"Hello?" he asked as he pulled his phone away, only to see his home screen light up the display.

Blaine had hung up.

Sebastian slammed his fist on his desk, rattling its contents and succeeding in causing of his pens and pencils to roll off. He left the fallen objects lying on the floor.

Why did he always do this? Why was he incapable of being a decent person? Why did he have to piss so many people off? Maybe it was all a mistake? Maybe he had been right all along, that people were only a nuisance and should be kept at an emotional distance. He never had this problem before. He never used to allow people to get very close to him. He kept them away with his cold words and angry attitude. They never expected much from him. He never disappointed them. How could he?

But then he thought about all the hurt he had caused, to him and to others. He may have completely screwed things up with Blaine, but that didn't take away from all that they had gone through together. Despite the headache that he currently had, he did enjoy being the new Sebastian. He liked having friends like Nick and Blaine there for him.

Nick.

Sebastian quickly picked up his phone and pulled up his 'Favorites' list. The phone rang three times before he heard a voice.

"Congratulations Mr. Smythe, you have successfully reached me. You're good to talk!" came Nick's obnoxious greeting.

"Stop talking. I need help," Sebastian hissed into his phone.

"Sebastian," Nick yelled dramatically, "I'm so proud of you!"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been worried about you and that habit you've had for awhile now. But I'm glad you're finally owning up to your decisions!"

"Nick, shut the f—"

"I mean, I know it'll take a little work," Nick took control of the conversation once more, "but I'm sure with a lot of effort and time, you won't be such a little bitch anymore!"

"Are you done?" Sebastian asked impatiently.

"Actually no. I have 3 pages of typed notes that I've prepared for situations like this. Any keywords you want to throw out there for me to narrow down my choices of which direction to take this in?" Nick asked in a sarcastic voice.

Sebastian gritted his teeth, "I'm sorry. I meant to say, 'Hi Nick. How are you doing?'"

He sighed in annoyance, making his feelings very clear to his friend on the other line.

"Whoa, sorry Man. What's wrong?" Nick asked when he actually listened to how Sebastian sounded. He knew that exasperated sigh: it meant that something was definitely wrong.

"What happened with Blaine?"

"What makes you think it has anything to do with him?" Sebastian asked, a lot of his anger still in his voice.

"Hey, I'm sorry I pulled that. I didn't know something was really this wrong," Nick tried to explain.

"Really, so when I said 'I need help,' you took that to mean…" Sebastian asked, leaving off the end, sarcastically inviting Nick to finish his sentence.

"Hey, fuck you. I apologized. Get off my ass and tell me what's going on. Keep in mind that _you_ called _me_ for help. This isn't exactly making want to help you," Nick half-yelled.

Sebastian mumbled an apology, with a few additional insults, before continuing: "I fucked things up with Blaine."

"Well that much is to be expected," Nick said as if he were talking to a five year old. He asked Sebastian to explain the story.

"…and then he hung up on me when I was trying to apologize."

There was a short pause before Nick started speaking again.

"So you're telling me that you planned a night with me on the night of your boyfriend's big choir competition?" Nick asked in a tone that was all too familiar to Sebastian.

"He's not my boyfriend and…" Sebastian paused, searching for the words to defend himself, "of course it sounds stupid when you say it like _that_."

"That's because it _is_ stupid you fucktard!" Nick yelled. "Are you seriously telling me that you were going to bail on him at Sectionals?"

"Oh, come on! You know all his friends hate me. Why the hell would I drive out to his Section 8 school and donate myself as a punching bag for his friends? If I wanted to feel bad about myself, I'd just call my dad," Sebastian lamented.

Nick winced slightly at the mention of Sebastian's father. He didn't know the whole story, but Sebastian had once accidentally let slip that Mr. Smythe wasn't exactly that nicest or most accepting person.

"Dude, it's not always about you…you do know that right?" Nick asked gently.

Sebastian sat there, letting Nick's words sink in before asking, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that sometimes when you're with someone, you do stuff you don't want to, stuff that you may even hate because it'll make them happy."

"But if the other person cares about you, then why would they want you to do something that you don't want to do?" Sebastian asked, trying to understand the unwritten rules of dating. The whole thing seemed ridiculous.

"Because it's important to them," Nick explained, completely amused that Sebastian was so clueless to basic dating knowledge.

"That just seems selfish to me," Sebastian answered.

"No more selfish than _not_ doing something that would make the other person really happy just because you don't _want_ to do it," Nick countered.

The last line echoed in Sebastian's mind as he played and replayed it. Nick was right. Either way, one of them was being selfish. If he didn't go, then he would be happy but Blaine would be upset. If he did go, he'd probably have an awkward run in with the Nude Erection members, but Blaine would be happy. How was it possible for no one to be happy in this scenario?

Sebastian thought about all that Blaine had done for him. He thought about how Blaine had stayed with him the night his father was home. He didn't judge him. He didn't pity him. He had listened. He had stayed with him and gave him a place to stay for the night. He never told Blaine, but on the days when his father was home, he would sleep in his car. His fake I.D. was horrible and only worked at Scandals because they could care less who was there as long as they bought drinks. Real hotels wouldn't let him rent a room. Blaine had saved him from nights in the backseat of his Mercedes.

How could he be selfish with Blaine? Blaine deserved better. If it meant being uncomfortable for a short amount of time, then that's what he'd have to endure.

"You're right," Sebastian said, ending their episode of silence.

"Wait," Nick laughed, "I'm sorry. I think my phone is broken. It just sou—"

"You know, I'm not going to say it a second time, so pick and choose your battles asshole," Sebastian said, lacing his words with his teasing sarcasm.

"Apology accepted," Nick answered with a smile.

"Who said I apologized?" Sebastian said raising his eyebrow and shaking his head.

"That's a Smythe apology. They're short and completely lacking in any actual apology vocabulary, but it's there nonetheless."

"You're stupid. So are you coming with me?"

"As much as I'd love to watch you actually grovel—"

"I'm not going to grovel," Sebastian interrupted, defending his pride.

Nick laughed, "Oh sweet, sweet Sebastian, of course you're going to grovel. You're in a relationship now. You are no longer afforded the luxury of your pride. You're going to grovel and tell him you're stupid and crazy and that he was right. And then you're going to insult yourself some more, so much that he'll feel bad for how pathetic you are and will have no choice but to forgive you."

Sebastian really didn't like the sound of that, though he did have to admit that it made sense in a sad, pathetic sort of way.

Sebastian sighed dramatically, indicating his acceptance of Nick's words while also communicating his frustrations with them: "Fine, I'll grovel. You coming?"

"As I was saying, as much as I'd love to open a bag of Cheetos and pull up a chair to that to show, I'm going to pass. I've seen Blaine angry and it's not a pretty sight. He's going to flip out on you and I don't particularly want to be caught in that big bag of crazy when it hits the fan," Nick said, trying to contain his laughter. He could almost picture the look on Sebastian's face.

"But best of luck to you man," he finished.

"What ever happened to solidarity or brotherhood?" Sebastian asked.

"Bro Code is not applicable when it requires me to get in-between you and crazy. Knife fight in an alley? I'll dial 9-1-1 then jump in to help. A fight between you and a pissed off boyfriend…not so much."

"That doesn't even come close to sounding right," Sebastian growled.

"Go through your first awkward interference with a domestic fight and you'll understand." He paused as he laughed and thought about the time he stepped in to defend Dave when he was in an argument with his girlfriend. The slap to the face was still fresh in his memory like it had only happened recently.

"But you do know that protocol demands a peace offering, right?" Nick said.

"Like flowers?" Sebastian asked.

"Nah, flowers are for chicks. What would you do if Blaine got you flowers?"

"Before or after I did my best not to laugh in his face?" Sebastian smirked.

"Exactly my point," Nick explained. "Get him something that he'll actually like."

Sebastian thought for a while before a slow smile spread across his face.

"Actually, I think I have the perfect idea."

— **Glee —**

"Wow, I didn't think I'd see you here today."

Sebastian turned around when he recognized the voice of the speaker. There standing in front of him was a very confused looking Tina Cohen-Chang.

"Really? Why is that?" Sebastian asked, hoping that Blaine hadn't told her about their fight the previous night.

"Blaine told me about your fight last night," Tina answered as she walked closer towards him.

…_Damnit…_

"Well, I came bearing my white flag," Sebastian said as he held up his right arm and waved the bouquet wrapped in brown paper.

"Can I ask what happened exactly?"

Sebastian frowned, swallowing his initial reaction of telling her to mind her own business: "I thought you said he told you already?"

"He did," Tina said, "but he only said that you two got in an argument and that you weren't coming tonight. He didn't give me any of the details."

"He didn't?" Sebastian asked.

"No," she replied, "my personal theory is that he wants me to like you, so he's not telling me all the stupid things you do."

"Who says I'm doing stupid things?"

Tina only gave him a look in response to his questions. He smiled as he nodded his head and raised his hands in defeat.

"So what happened?" Tina pressed.

Sebastian sighed, "Well what if _I_ want you to like me? Telling you all the stupid things I do and say won't exactly win me any brownie points."

"No, but being truthful will," Tina said. "It's harder to admit a mistake than it is to do something right sometimes."

Sebastian weighed his options. Tina had been helpful thus far. She was Blaine's best friend. Telling her would most likely lower her opinion of him, but it might also show her that he is serious about wanting to make things work with Blaine. She already knew he messed up, was there any harm in giving her the details?

"I told Blaine that I didn't want to come tonight because I would be uncomfortable running into your friends. I told him that I was going to go out with a friend of mine to Columbus instead," Sebastian said, feeling as stupid as he sounded.

"Wait," Tina's frowned, "you're telling me that you told the guy you're dating that you'd rather hang out in Columbus than see him perform in one of his show choir's most important performances of the year?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "Yes, I get that it was a stupid thing to say. You all don't have to make me feel like a bigger idiot than I already do."

Tina laughed, though to her credit, she tried to contain herself, "I'm sorry, that's just possibly one of the stupid things I've ever heard. You really told him that you were going to skip tonight?" Her words were interrupted by little bouts of laughter.

"Yes," Sebastian begrudgingly admitted.

"Well that explains a lot," Tina said after sobering up from her laughter. "He was pretty upset today when he came to school."

Tina's words made Sebastian feel even worse. He hated feeling bad. So much of him wanted to blame Blaine for this guilt, but a small part, a part that was still in the process of growing, knew that it was entirely his fault. Blaine wasn't to blame for his poor choices. That fault rested solely on his, Sebastian Smythe's, shoulders.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" Sebastian asked, looking around, hoping that no one was listening to their conversation. He had given up any hope of retaining his dignity once Tina told him that she knew about his fight with Blaine.

Tina looked at him, thinking, "If you're really sorry, then yes. Blaine isn't exactly the type to hold a grudge if you haven't noticed." The teasing tone to her voice made Sebastian feel better.

"But I do have to ask you something," she added. She continued speaking when he nodded his head, "What makes you think you're good for him?"

The question completely took Sebastian by surprise. Up until that point, Tina had always seemed like she was supportive of his and Blaine's relationship. He didn't expect her to say something of that nature.

"W—what do you mean?" Sebastian asked, still unsure of what to say.

"I mean, why do you think you should be with him? You've already hurt him and it's only been what, barely a week?"

Her accusation made his ears feel bitter. He didn't know that was even possible.

"What makes you think you won't do it again? What if you hurt him even more next time?"

"What are you saying?" Sebastian asked slowly.

"Maybe you're better off leaving him alone. Maybe you shouldn't see him tonight."

Sebastian tried to think of something, anything to say. It was as if she posed an unanswerable question to him. A million sentences began in his head, but he was unable to complete any of them. Who the hell was she to say that? How was it any business of hers to get involved in his relationship with Blaine?

This bitch had just pissed him off.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are to stick your nose in my business. What Blaine and I do is up to us and we certainly don't need some meddlesome little back-up singer to tell us what to do. Yes I screwed up and yes I suck at this whole dating thing, but that isn't news to Blaine _or_ me. So why don't you take your uninvited advice and sing it, off key I might add, to someone who gives a fuck about what you say. The only way I'm leaving this school tonight is if Blaine tells me to. I'm not going to let you or anyone else get between us. That's for him and me to decide, not you, and not any of your second-rate choir friends!"

The words exploded out of his mouth as his eyes grew smaller and he pulled himself to his tallest height. Had they been in a more secluded setting, he might have yelled his speech, but their current surroundings, that they shared with a crowd of nervous singers and parents, forced him to deliver his words in a harsh whisper. He glared holes into her eyes as his fists balled, slightly damaging the brown paper wrapping that was in his right hand.

"Good."

Sebastian blinked. Good?

"Good?" he asked.

"Good," she answered.

He was still breathing hard, his chest rising and falling as he stared at the girl who wore a smile on her face. Why was she smiling? What was good?

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, hoping that she'd explain what the hell was going on.

"I didn't doubt that you cared about Blaine. I believed you at The Lima Bean when you said you weren't up to anything, but I didn't know if you'd actually fight for him if things go hard, but you did," she explained as she continued to smile.

"Wait…so you weren't serious when you said that?"

"No, well, yes. I mean, if you don't think you're good for him, you _should_ leave him alone. But I think both of us believe that you guys belong together."

Sebastian couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips.

"And this really goes against everything that I used to think of you. I hope you realize how hard this is for me to do. I'm supposed to hate you. You're a Warbler. You're my competition."

Tina's words were accompanied by a smirk and playful push. Sebastian laughed as he looked at her, silently thanking her for giving him another chance that he still didn't deserve.

"So tell you what, why don't you go down the hall and then take a right when it ends. Go into the third door on your right. That's Mr. Schue's room. It should be unlocked. I'll send Blaine over to you."

Sebastian smiled again before turning to follow her directions.

"Sebastian! Wait!" she yelled as she ran up to him. "Give me your phone."

Sebastian pulled out his phone and placed it in her open palm. "Why do you need it?" he asked.

"Because," she explained, "I need your number. I'll text you when he's on his way. There's no point in you waiting if he isn't coming."

Her words caused Sebastian's smile to disappear. Tina rolled her eyes: "Oh my God, I just meant that he may not be able to meet you if we have to stay with the group. Calm down. You looked like I told you that you had to take public transportation or something."

Sebastian relaxed and began to laugh as Tina continued, "Yeah, Blaine tells me about your huge disdain for us middle-class folk."

Sebastian smiled his thanks as he put his phone back in his pocket. He was about to turn and leave when Tina stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, and just so you know," she said, "those insults to me and my friends get a one-time pass. I know you were angry because of what I said, so I'll pretend that it didn't happen, but say those things again, and I will permanently make you a Soprano."

— **Glee —**

Sebastian paced nervously back and forth as he waited in the classroom. His phone had just gone off with a text message from Tina telling him that Blaine was on his way. He could feel a thin layer of sweat covering his palms as he wiped them on his pants.

…_Get a grip you fucking pansy…_

He spun around when he heard the door open. There stood Blaine in the doorway, looking surprised. Maybe Tina hadn't even told him that he'd be waiting there. What if he didn't want to listen?

"Sebastian, what are you do—"

"Wait, before you say anything, can you let me talk?" Sebastian asked, stepping forward, trying to get closer.

Blaine slowly nodded his head. Sebastian took a deep breath and recited the words that he had practiced on his drive to McKinley.

"Look, first off, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm stupid. I'm sorry I was selfish. I'm sorry I was the biggest idiot in the world. I—you know I'm not good at this. A lot of this is new to me and…and I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, tonight being one of them. I," he sighed and took a breath, "I didn't tell you the whole reason for me not wanting to come tonight.

"I didn't want to come because…because I was scared. I was scared that if I came then your friends would all make fun of me and tell you what a mistake I was. I was scared that they'd tell you to forget me and that…that you'd listen to them. I know dating me probably isn't the easiest thing and that a lot of people are probably telling you that you're stupid or crazy, but…but I don't want to mess this up, or at least any more than I already have and if things _do _get messed up, I want it to be because of me and not other people whispering in your ear."

He walked up closer to Blaine, watching him carefully for any sign of what he was thinking. The shorter boy wore a blank face. Sebastian swallowed another lump in his throat. If he were asked, he'd say that exposing his thoughts and insecurities in that moment was one of the most uncomfortable things he had ever done. What if Blaine rejected him? What if he simply laughed in his face? He didn't want to be hurt, but he knew that Blaine was worth the risk.

"You know me, Blaine. I'm not Kurt. I'm not that guy who always says the right thing at the right time. I don't know how to be that guy yet, but I'm trying. I'm trying because I know that's what you want and that's what you deserve, but I'm going to make a lot of mistakes before I get there and…and I just hope that you can forgive me when I make those mistakes. I can't promise you a headache free time with me, but I can promise that I'll always want to try my best for you…and hopefully my best is enough…" Sebastian's words trailed off as he looked down at the ground. He felt so stupid. He felt like a little child, apologizing for breaking his mom's favorite vase or lamp. He hated feeling like that. He spent his entire life feeling helpless and apologetic growing up with his father, he didn't want to feel that way anymore as he grew older. But it was different with Blaine. Yes, he was sorry. Yes he felt helpless and apologetic in the moment, but it was different. He wasn't afraid like he used to be. It was a fear of losing something important to him, not a fear of being pathetic or yelled at.

"Can I say something now?" Blaine asked in a small voice.

Sebastian looked up and gave the slightest of head nods, both eagerly anticipating and dreading the words that would come out of Blaine's mouth.

"Sebastian…you…thank you," Blaine whispered. "I didn't know that you felt like that about my friends. I wish you had told me because then I would have said that what they say doesn't matter. I mean, yes it matters, but they don't have the final say in who I'm with. They haven't exactly been the most supportive group since I told them that we were trying things out, but…you're _still_ here. I still want you here. I would hope that shows you that I want you to be here despite what they might say."

Sebastian felt his entire body relax as he breathed out in relief.

" And I don't need you to be Kurt. If I wanted another Kurt, Sebastian, I would definitely be looking somewhere else…no offense," he smiled as the two shared a smile. "Despite our past and everything I know, I want _you_. I don't want some make believe version of you that I have in my head, I want the guy that I have coffee with, the guy that makes me laugh with offensive text messages, the guy that will stay up until two in the morning with me on the phone…the guy who sleeps in my bed and doesn't try to make a move because he knows I'm not ready for that yet. You're sweet and kind and considerate Sebastian, but in a different way. You're already everything that you think you aren't. I want the you that no one else gets to see, the one that makes me feel like I have the best secret in the world, the one that makes me feel like the only guy in the room. I don't care about anything else. _That's_ all I care about."

Sebastian couldn't have wiped the grin off his face if you paid him. He walked up to Blaine and interlaced their fingers together.

"So you forgive an idiot for being an idiot?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"That depends," Blaine responded with a smile, "is that for me?"

Sebastian looked over at the brown-wrapped bouquet that he had placed on one of the desks. He turned back towards Blaine, a slight blush appearing beneath the freckles on his cheeks.

"Yeah, it's an 'I'm sorry' present," Sebastian mumbled.

Blaine's heart swelled at the sight of a bashful Sebastian: "I never pegged you for the type of guy who gave flowers."

"They aren't flowers," Sebastian said as he walked over and picked up the gift. "It's stupid. Did you want flowers? I can go get some." The panic on his face caused Blaine to laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous. Now give me my present," Blaine teased as he playfully held out his arms, dancing a little to put Sebastian at ease.

He smiled when Sebastian hesitated a few moments before finally handing over the gift. He frowned when he held it. It was lighter than he thought and held a different shape than flowers usually did. He found it surprising when Tina told him that Sebastian had brought him flowers. Truth be told, he wasn't a big fan of flowers. He appreciated more practical gifts that he could actually use, but that wasn't something that he'd ever tell Sebastian. The poor boy looked like he wanted to be swallowed up by the ground.

He pulled the paper back, expecting to see flowers, but was met with a different sight. He frowned, his mind taking a few moments to register the sight in front of him. He knew what they were, but he had never seen them in this manner before. He looked up at Sebastian who was blushing furiously at this point. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was speechless.

"You hate it. I knew it. It was a stupid idea. I can take them back. I should have gotten you flowers. Nick said that was stupid and I should do something else. I'm sorry. I can—"

Sebastian's words came out like a waterfall, tumbling over themselves in a rush. Blaine was snapped out of his confusion when Sebastian reached forward to take the bouquet out of his hands.

"No!" he shouted, pulling back the brown paper and shielding it like a protective mother.

"No…you…these…Sebastian…" his words came out, unsure of how to be followed, "You made me a bouquet of bow ties?"

Sebastian's face burned bright red as he avoided eye contact. "Well, I mean, I thought…"

"It's perfect," Blaine breathed as he looked down at the colorful assortment of bow ties in his arms. There were different designs. Some were solid, plaid, or polka dotted while others had stripes or funny little designs. They were all handsome, picked by someone with impeccable taste. He looked closer and could see designer names and logos stitched onto a tag or the tie itself. The bouquet must have cost Sebastian a good amount of money.

"Sebastian, how did you…this is…" it was Blaine's turn to be tongue-tied.

"Well I know you're not a big fan of flowers since you told me about that one time Kurt got you those roses and embarrassed you…and I know your bow tie collection is one of your favorite things…" his voice trailed off.

Blaine could feel tears threatening his eyes as he watched Sebastian force himself to speak.

"And I know you like homemade presents, but I can't really sew or anything…so I just put all the bow ties together like that…well," he admitted, "I had our maid Olga do it…but I told her how to arrange them…"

Blaine placed the bouquet down on the desk and launched himself into Sebastian's arms. One small tear of joy fell down his cheek as he smiled with his lips and heart. He pulled back slightly and kissed the taller boy who was still shocked by his actions. They stood there, standing in each other's arms, their lips expressing the emotions and thoughts they were experiencing.

Blaine whimpered slightly when he felt Sebastian pull away. He looked up to see a smiling Sebastian, not smirking, but a smiling Sebastian.

"As much as I'd love to keep you here to myself, I think we need to get you on stage so you can kick those other choirs' asses and take that trophy."

— **Glee —**

Sebastian rearranged himself in his seat. He looked over and smiled uncomfortably at Tina's boyfriend. Matt? Mark? He had already forgotten his name. Blaine and Tina had introduced him when they suggested that the two boys sit together. The tall Asian had smiled politely and said he remembered Sebastian from the previous year. Sebastian had pretended to remember him as well, but had no clue who the hell he was.

He looked down at the program and then smiled as it indicated that Blaine was next. He had been unimpressed thus far with the choirs that had performed. If this was what his own competition would look like when the Warblers competed at their own Sectionals, then the higher number of rehearsals that they had scheduled would be unneeded.

He grinned from ear to ear when Blaine walked out onto the stage for the first song. Sebastian waited for the others to walk out, but was surprised when no one else appeared. Blaine never told him anything about their set; he had wanted to keep it a secret. He didn't even know that Blaine had a solo. His heart beat nervously as the band started playing. He knew Blaine was a seasoned performer, but that didn't stop him from holding his breath as if the small gesture my guarantee Blaine a perfect performance.

_You've got the best of both worlds  
__You're the kind of girl who can take down a man  
__And lift him back up again  
_

_You are strong but you're needy, humble but you're greedy  
__Based on your body language and shoddy cursive I've been reading  
__You're style is quite selective though your mind is rather reckless  
__Well, I guess it just suggests that this is just what happiness is_

_And what a beautiful mess this is  
__Well it's like we're picking up trash in dresses_

_Well, it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write  
__Kind of turn themselves into knives  
__And don't mind my nerve you could call it fiction  
__But I like being submerged in your contradictions, Dear  
__'Cause here we are, here we are_

_Although you are biased I love your advice  
__Your comebacks they're quick and probably  
__Have to do with your insecurities  
__There's no shame in being crazy depending on how you take these  
__Words I'm paraphrasing this relationship we're staging_

_And it's a beautiful mess this is  
__It's like picking up trash in dresses_

_Well, it kind of hurts when the kind of words you say  
__Kind of turn themselves into blades  
__And the kind and courteous is a life I've heard  
__But it's nice to say that we played in the dirt, oh Dear  
__'Cause here we are, here we are_

_Here we are, here we are  
__Here we are, here we are  
__Here we are, here we are  
__Here we are, we're still here_

_What a beautiful mess this is  
__Well it's like taking a guess when the only answer is yes_

_And through timeless words and priceless pictures  
__We'll fly like birds not of this earth  
__And tides they turn and hearts disfigure  
__But that's no concern when we're wounded together  
__And we tore our dresses and stained our shirts  
__But it's nice today  
__Oh, the wait was so worth it_

The lyrics and Blaine singing them blew Sebastian away. The entire time, Blaine never took his eyes off of him. Despite the auditorium being full of hundreds of people and judges, Blaine was only singing to him. The glassy eyed smile Blaine wore at the end of the song made Sebastian jump to his feet, clapping. He wasn't shocked when he came back to his senses and saw that he wasn't the only one giving Blaine a standing ovation.

The rest of the performance passed, but Sebastian couldn't stop thinking about Blaine's solo. Sure the rest of the choir had come out right before the last chorus, but it was all incidental to Sebastian. As he stood outside the auditorium patiently waiting for Blaine, Sebastian couldn't help but smile and be happy.

"Hey there Stranger," Blaine said as he wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist from behind.

"Hey yourself, Killer," Sebastian said as he laughed and leaned back into Blaine's touch. He couldn't help his frown when he felt Blaine's arms pull away as the shorter boy walked around to his front.

"So what'd you think?" Blaine asked with a smile.

"I think you are too good for your participation ribbon of a group. I hope they know how lucky they are," Sebastian said, which earned him a hit to his shoulder.

"What'd you think of the song?" Blaine asked, this time a little more hesitantly.

Sebastian smiled as he reached out and grabbed Blaine's one free hand which was not holding the bouquet of bow ties: "I don't think I've ever felt so complimented when being referred to a 'beautiful mess.'"

Blaine blushed slightly as he laughed, "Yeah, well I still like you." He looked around them to see if anyone was paying attention before leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Sebastian's lips. He laughed at the uncharacteristic grin that Sebastian currently wore on his face.

"Why don't you go home and grab a bag, you're staying at my place tonight," Blaine informed him with a look that Sebastian had never seen before.

"Why Mr. Anderson, are you trying to seduce me?" he joked. He thought his heart stopped beating when he heard Blaine's words.

"No," Blaine replied, "but I will once you get to my house tonight." He held up his bouquet to his chest and smiled coyly. "Your bouquet was a big hit in the choir room by the way. Everyone loved it."

He smiled, a little unsure of himself before he leaned forward and whispered into Sebastian's ear, "It definitely earned you an appropriate thank you. So hurry up and don't keep me waiting."

Sebastian fought the urge to take off running, pushing children, parents, grandparents, and high schoolers out of his way. That was not a way a Smythe conducted himself. Instead, he squeaked out a weird noise and he maneuvered his way through the crowd.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian sped the entire way home, cursing at the idiotic drivers on the road who insisted on following the speed limit. He may or may not have delivered a rude gesture with his hand at a frightened grandmother whom he raced around because she was going five miles below the speed limit.

As he pulled into his driveway, he was surprised to see his father's car in the driveway. He sat in his car, torn at what to do. Part of him wanted to go in and grab his things so he could get back to Blaine. The other part of him screamed that he'd be better off just buying new clothes and toiletries, though that would take him much longer to do. As he sat there, he finally decided that he could probably get in and out of the house without his father even realizing that he was there.

He climbed out and walked up to the front door, looking at it as though it may bite him. He glanced up at the sky when he heard the thunder overhead. The clouds were dark as he felt the beginnings of a light rain falling on his nose. It seemed as though the night sky was warning him not to follow through on his plans.

He successfully opened and closed the door without making a noise. The large foyer was empty, so Sebastian crept up the grand staircase towards his room. There was still no sign of his father. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe his father was passed out in his study with a drink in his hand.

He made it all the way to his bedroom door without making a sound or seeing anyone. He grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it, pushing the door open only slightly before turning around and closing it. He breathed in relief when he leaned his forehead on the dark wood door. He turned around and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Welcome home, Son."

— **Glee —**

Blaine hurried around the house, tidying up nervously as he waited for Sebastian to arrive. He scrunched his face in annoyance at the storm that was taking place outside his windows. It was odd to have this sort of weather at the end of November, but it had also been an uncharacteristically warm Fall thus far.

He looked out his windows, worried about Sebastian, hoping that he made it to the house safely. He picked up his cell phone again for what seemed like the millionth time, checking to see if he had a missed call or text message from the Warbler, but nothing. He cursed himself under his breath for sending Sebastian to his house to grab clothes when there were a few changes of clothes for him hanging in the closet. He thought about their day at the mall, the day that he bought the clothes for Sebastian.

He walked towards a mirror and examined his reflection. His hair was freed from its gel prison due to the quick shower he took when he made it back to his house, though the shower might have been rendered useless because of the amount of sweating his was doing in anticipation of Sebastian's arrival.

He was nervous. He knew what was probably running through Sebastian's head after whispering in his ear earlier that evening. It wasn't as if Blaine was a virgin, he and Kurt had put an end to that months ago, but that still didn't stop him from playing his with hands nervously. He didn't know if he was going to have sex with Sebastian that night. They weren't dating exclusively. They hadn't even been dating for more than a week, yet there he was, waiting for a boy that he had invited over with the teasing of some sort of bedroom activity taking place.

Blaine wasn't the type of guy to jump into bed after such a short period of time, but he felt like his relationship with Sebastian had started months ago. When they first started talking after their run in at The Lima Bean, he knew that there was something more than friendship there, but he did his best to ignore it since he was still in a relationship with Kurt. That night that he threw himself at Sebastian after their trip to Scandals wasn't completely about wanting to feel attractive, a big part of that was also due to his own attraction to Sebastian. Kurt was good looking, but Sebastian was sexy. There was something about him that caused Blaine to have thoughts that a gentleman shouldn't have. But was that enough reason to take his relationship to the next level with Sebastian?

He smoothed the t-shirt he was wearing as he once again rubbed his hands on his jeans. He looked into the mirror, looking at the sight of him in such casual clothing. He never said it, but Blaine knew that Sebastian liked it when he wasn't so dressed up. The khakis and bow ties had always been more of Blaine's attempt to keep up with Kurt's fashion sense. He always felt strangely undressed when he wore a simple shirt and jeans next to Kurt's designer sweaters and shoes. With Sebastian, he felt like he could relax more, and that was evident in his styling choices of late.

He still didn't know what to do. He knew Sebastian would never force him to go to a place where he wasn't comfortable. He knew that even if he told Sebastian nothing would happen that evening, not even a kiss, that Sebastian would smile and assure him that cuddling on the couch in front of the TV was fine with him. Sebastian was great like that, but Blaine knew it was a façade. He knew Sebastian wanted more, but respected Blaine too much to push for it. That act of consideration made Blaine want to give Sebastian what he really wanted, if only to reward him for his patience, but Blaine knew that it was a silly reason to get into bed with someone.

To him, sex was something of importance. It was an act that symbolized a person's feelings for the other person. It was a joining of two people, physically and emotionally, and he didn't know if he was ready for the latter of the two: physically, Blaine was ready to tear off Sebastian's clothes. His teenage hormones definitely left little confusion in that aspect, but emotionally, Blaine was still unsure if Sebastian was a person that would be around for awhile, or just until he lost interest. It wasn't that Blaine doubted Sebastian's feelings, he just knew that this was something that was new to the Warbler, and that his thoughts may change when he realized what being in a committed relationship truly meant.

He was pulled out of his head when he saw the lights flash through his window. He ran over and saw a red Mercedes pull into the driveway. He smiled as he ran down the stairs to the front door. He paused when he reached forward and grabbed the doorknob. He shouldn't be standing there waiting for him. Sebastian would then know that he had been waiting for him by the window. He walked back towards the living room and sat down on the couch, his knee nervously bouncing as he waited.

A few minutes passed and Blaine grew anxious. He should have rang the doorbell. What was taking him so long? Blaine began to worry. What if he tripped and was laying unconscious on the walkway? What if he was hurt and needed help? What if someone had kidnapped him on his walk from his car?

OK, the last scenario was very unlikely, but it didn't stop Blaine from walking to his door and opening it, all concern for the way he looked forgotten. He was shocked to find a dripping-wet Sebastian when he opened the door. Blaine took a step back in shock when he looked at Sebastian's face. His lip was cut and he saw the beginning stages of bruising over his left eye and his right cheek. His eyes were red as if he had been crying, though Blaine couldn't tell if he was because of the rain. He was breathing hard and almost seemed to lose himself as soon as his eyes met Blaine's

"Sebastian…" Blaine breathed out, too shocked to move. What could have happened?

"I'm sorry…I…I didn't know where to go and—"

Sebastian choked out before he grunted when Blaine pulled him into his arms. The two stood out on the Anderson porch, holding each other in silence, the thunder in the sky and the raining hitting the ground providing them with a soundtrack for their embrace.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Holy balls, that was a long chapter, the longest to date! Please don't expect this in the future. I actually thought about chopping this in half because then I'd already have next week's update done! But I figured it was a cop out, plus a chapter title like "The Bouquet" wouldn't make much sense if a bouquet wasn't actually included.**

**So what'd you think? Thoughts? Suggestions? Reactions? I personally thought my bouquet idea was pretty ingenious…though I'm not sure if I accidentally ripped it off from something? Do any of you know of any bouquets of bow ties in a movie or TV show? **

**Thank you SO MUCH to all the reviewers for chapter 15! You guys came out of nowhere with those suckers! I loved them! And I have to say that there were a number of long ones too, so kudos to all of you for that! Thank you's to: FictionReader101, Aquaria245 (LOVE your stories), TheChildOfTheTardis, , Forever Gleek2000, RHatch89, TVTime, BelugaLoki, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, anderpson (…icon…), Chew.x, RoseCriss, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, FriskyFriar, teenietia, Guest (? GIMME A NAME BRO! lol), and anikiti88.**

**I hope you're liking what's happening thus far. My question to you, I brought up the topic of sex and Blaine's conflicted thoughts and emotions. What do you all think? I mean I know I've gotten a bunch of "THEY NEED TO HUMP YESTERDAY" sort of reviews/messages, but in terms of story and character development, what do you guys honestly think of that happening? I left it in a place where it could go either way. So that's my question for this chapter. Please take a second and write a review if you have the time. Let me know what you think! Thanks!**

**My recommendation for this chapter, go check out (my lovely reviewer) Aquaria's stories Beyond Green Eyes and Moving Beyond. I think I lapped up BGE in about a day or so and MB is my current crack (crack head hair). You will not be sorry! **

**Thanks for keeping up with this story and I will see you all next time! The song was "Beautiful Mess" by Jason Mraz, aka the best song on his "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" album...which I'm just now realizing bears a close resemblance to my story's title...hmm...**

**NEXT CHAPTE: Find out what happened after we left Sebastian and how he and Blaine deal with it…and maybe more? I don't know. Any suggestions?**


	17. Sins of the Father

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh man, I'm really sorry for the wait on this chapter you guys. Last weekend was just a butt crack and a half. On top of that, I was completely uninspired but tried to write anyway. I ended up deleting all 2k words that I typed up because they were garbage. **

**I forgot to put the time frame in chapter 16. That one took place the last weekend of November, which means this is also takes place the last weekend of November. We're slowly making our way towards Christmas!**

**But anyway, I digress, here is the new chapter. It's a bit different from the rest of the story and really goes into Sebastian's past. So I'll shut up now.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything except for the computer that I typed this on.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Seventeen: Sins of the Father**

Blaine's mind was working overtime as he held Sebastian in his arms. What had happened? Why did Sebastian look the way he did? Blaine couldn't help but go to the worst possible place in his mind. He pulled back slightly from the taller by and looked up into his eyes, slightly breaking at the bruising forming around the left eye.

"Sebastian, what happened?" he asked gently as he continued to stare into the other's eyes, hoping to find some unspoken answer.

Sebastian just stared blankly at him, like he wasn't fully aware that Blaine was standing there, holding him. There was a lifelessness in those green eyes that used to be anything but.

"Sebastian…Sebastian…" Blaine said trying to get his attention. He was worried that Sebastian looked so dazed. Was it shock? Was it drugs? What could have happened that would cause him to act this way?

"Let's get you inside. You're going to get sick if you stay out here like this," he said as he pulled Sebastian in through the door and closed it. He looked at Sebastian, standing there, seemingly unaware of his surroundings or what was happening. He tried some more attempts to get the Warbler's attention, but was unable to find any success. He looked down at the small puddle that was forming on his parents' hardwood floors.

"We need to get you out of these clothes, can you take your jacket and shirt off?" he asked, hoping for some sort of response. He sighed in relief when Sebastian's eyes focused on him for a moment before he looked down and slowly started unzipping his jacket. After a moment, Sebastian stood in his foyer in just a pair of soaking pants. He grabbed Sebastian's jacket and shirt in one hand while taking the boy's hand in the other.

"Do you think you could get those pants off too?" he asked, hoping that his implied joke might illicit a smirk or smile. Sebastian simply nodded his head and began undoing the button on his waistband.

"I'll go get you a towel, I'll be right back," Blaine said as he turned to walk up the stairs towards the linen closet.

Before he was able to take a step, he felt a strong hand firmly grip his arm right above his elbow. He looked down at the hand, knuckles white as they held onto him for dear life. He winced at the pain that he suddenly felt and looked at Sebastian. He was taken aback by the fear he read on the other boy's face.

"It's OK…it's OK, I'm just going upstairs to get you a towel. I don't want you to just stand here in your underwear and be cold. I'll only be a few seconds. I promise, OK?" he said as gently as possible, stroking the arm that was clinging to him. He smiled when he felt Sebastian's grip loosen.

"Sorry" Sebastian mumbled as he turned his gaze downward and resumed working on his pants.

Blaine's heart went out to the boy as he turned and hurried as quickly as possibly to get him a towel. He threw the soaked articles of clothing into the shower stall and then raced down the stairs to find an undressed Sebastian simply standing there like a lost little boy. He slowed as he saw Sebastian's sad eyes turn and lock onto him. He simply stood at the landing, merely three steps away from the ground and looked down at Sebastian.

"Sebastian…w—what happened to you?"

The question hung in between the two boys as they stared at each other. Blaine slowly finished his way down the stairs and wrapped the towel around Sebastian's shoulders, pulling the ends together, effectively wrapping Sebastian in a small cocoon.

"Come on Sebastian, you're OK now. I'm here. You're fine. You can tell me what happened."

It was as if a switch had been flipped. Sebastian's head snapped to attention as his eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings for what seemed like the first time. His eyes landed on Blaine and he took a small step backwards, away from the shorter boy.

"I…nothing. Nothing happened. I'm just—I'm just stupid," he said was a small laugh that was obviously fake. "I'm fine, Blaine. Really."

Blaine frowned, "In what world am I supposed to believe you?"

Sebastian shook his head again: "I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry. I…I wasn't thinking when I came. I should go…" he said as he turned towards the door.

It was Blaine's turn to grab Sebastian's arm: "Wait! Sebastian! You can't go. You're not fine and you don't even have any clothes on. You're staying here."

"Blaine, I'm fine. You don't have to take care of me like th—"

"Like what? Like I care? Like you're someone who's important to me?"

"You don't have to say that," Sebastian said, almost in a whisper.

Blaine frowned as he let go of Sebastian's arm.

"What do you mean I don't have to say that? I know I don't. I _want_ to. I care about you Sebastian. I thought that much would be obvious by now?" Blaine was confused.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't," another mumbled response.

"Where is this coming from?"

Sebastian frowned as he turned to fully look at Blaine. He stood there, looking ridiculous in his underwear and a towel, his wet hair still stuck to his forehead. He didn't speak. He didn't move. He just stood there, staring.

Blaine studied him carefully: "Who did this to you, Sebastian?"

"No one, I'm just a klutz. I tripped down the stairs when I was heading out."

Blaine couldn't help but be slightly offended by how badly his intelligence was being insulted with that excuse: "Stairs? Well that might kind of, sort of, in some crazy world explain your face…but not the way you're acting. Unless they verbally assaulted you too, I don't…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes met Sebastian's and he could see the fear in them. Whatever had happened to Sebastian hadn't only been physical, someone had to have said something to him. Why else would he be pushing Blaine away like that? There was only one person in Sebastian's life that Blaine knew could affect him in such a way.

"Sebastian…Sebastian look at me," Blaine gently coaxed. Sebastian reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the floor and stared into Blaine's hazel orbs.

"Did your dad do this to you?"

Sebastian's eyes flew away from Blaine and he turned his head, a frown appearing on his features.

"He did, didn't he?" Blaine asked. Sebastian only answered with his scowl.

"You can't let him do this to you Sebastian. This isn't right. This isn't how a father treats his son. We need to call the police or—"

"No!" Sebastian yelled, startling Blaine. "I'm not going to call the police on my own father!"

"But Sebastian, he—"

"Look, we may not be the Brady Bunch like your family. We may not play Disney songs as we hug and get dressed by singing birds, but he's still my Father, Blaine. Maybe he has a few more drinks than he should, but that doesn't give you the right to sit there and judge him like this!"

"That's not fair and you know it! You know about my family…that's a real jerk move for you to say that," Blaine yelled back.

"Well if we're having a 'My Family Is Fucked Up' contest, then I think my father and I take that one hands down!"

"So this happened because he was drinking?" Blaine asked.

"Yes! Yes, is that what you wanted to hear? My dad is an alcoholic! He drinks and then sometimes he hits me. Are you happy now? Is there any other part of my dignity that you'd like?"

Blaine was taken aback by the look in Sebastian's eyes. He'd seen Sebastian angry in the past, but he'd never looked like that. Blaine had crossed a line and he knew it.

"I'm sorry I offended you," Blaine breathed as he reached out and took hold of Sebastian's hand, "but I care about you. I care about what happens to you and sometimes that means I'm going to talk without thinking. I'm not sorry for what I said Sebastian, but I'm sorry I hurt you with it. You're important to me. Your safety is important to me, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm not in your dad's corner right now."

The two boys locked eyes at stared at one another. The shorter boy trying to convey all his concern and caring for the other while the taller boy tried to calm his breathing and search for a sign of mocking or sarcasm in the other.

"I'm not lying to you, Sebastian. I meant everything I just said."

"I should leave," Sebastian mumbled.

"Look, if you don't want to talk to me about this, then I'm not going to make you. But please don't stand there and act like I don't care or that I shouldn't. Don't you dare do that. I don't care what you want right now," Blaine said, his voice getting even softer. He took a step towards Sebastian and wrapped his arms around his towel covered back.

"I don't want you to leave. Bruises, scratches, and a bad temper aren't going to scare me off, Sebastian. I'm here and you're stuck with me."

Sebastian stared at the other boy, unsure of what to say: "Blaine…I…I don—"

"Shh," Blaine said, putting his fingers on Sebastian's lips, "you don't get a vote in this."

He pulled his arms from Sebastian's waist, happy when he saw the small frown on Sebastian's face from the absence of contact.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm betting that some sleep will help things," Blaine said as he pulled on Sebastian's towel, and in turn pulled him towards the staircase.

"Blaine I—"

"That wasn't a question."

Blaine led him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door and pulled Sebastian to his bed. Looking the other boy in the eye, and doing his best to silently instruct him to not argue, he lightly pushed him back into a sitting position on the bed. He looked down at Sebastian. There was something about the look on his face that made Blaine uneasy. It was the sadness in his eyes and the hopeful look on his face that made him wonder what exactly happened and what was going through his mind.

He then pulled the towel up from around Sebastian's shoulders and began rubbing it in the boy's hair, sending little droplets of water around the room as he dried Sebastian's brown locks. He then instructed him to lower himself into the sheets. He watched as Sebastian tentatively leaned backwards and pulled the sheets up, never once breaking eye contact with Blaine.

Blaine then walked over and turned the lights off, letting the moon and the lightning illuminate the room and his body as he began peeling off his own clothes until he was left with only his underwear. He then pulled back the sheets and climbed onto the bed, immediately pulling his body close to Sebastian's, draping his arm over the other boy's chest. He sighed in content as he felt the warmth of Sebastian's body. He enjoyed the closeness, the feel of Sebastian's skin against his.

"Goodnight Sebastian."

"…goodnight."

— **Glee —**

"_Welcome home, Son."_

_Sebastian froze when he first saw his father. His heart began beating faster. His breathing quickened. He could feel the sweat start to gather on his forehead and in his palms. His eyes immediately looked around his father's immediate area, looking for objects that could flung at his head if he made the mistake of saying anything that could displease his father._

_Why was he home? Why was his father in his room? What was going to happen? Was he in trouble? Was he going to hit him? Would he even be able to make it to Blaine's?_

"_What, no greeting for you own father, Sebastian? I thought I raised you better than that."_

_The words cut through Sebastian like a dagger through a pleading victim. His tone was light, conversation, but Sebastian knew better. He knew that the easy sound in his father's voice meant much more dangerous things. When William Smythe yelled and threw things, that was an easy man to deal with. At least then, Sebastian knew what he was dealing with. When his father was calm, that was when he was most dangerous. It meant he was sober and in control enough to know what he was doing._

"_W—welcome home, Father. I'm sorry I didn't say that before. Please, accept my apology," Sebastian choked out as best he could, pleading with his nerves to leave his voice alone. A quivering voice was something that his father hated._

"_Now was that so hard?"_

_William Smythe continued to sit there, playing with the drink in his hand while he sat in one of the chairs in the room. His legs were crossed and he was peering at Sebastian like a lion might watch a gazelle right before going in for the kill. The lightning and thunder in the sky outside the window did nothing to calm Sebastian's nervous._

_William took another sip before speaking, "Where have you been? I arrived home an hour ago only to find that my son was not even here."_

"_I'm sorry, Sir. I was at a friend's concert. I didn't know you would be home today," Sebastian answered his father while looking at the ground, doing his best not to mumble, but unable to control his body's natural reaction to the patriarch._

"_A concert?" his father asked: "Who is this friend?"_

_Sebastian's pulsed quickened even more. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't lie, his father was a human lie detector. He couldn't tell him it was for Blaine, he would ask more questions. He was stuck._

_The blank look on William's face disappeared when he recognized the struggle happening inside of his son. A sinister thought slowly pulled his lips into a smile. His son was nervous. He was hiding something._

"_Who had the concert, Sebastian?"_

_He watched as Sebastian's head popped up, a trapped look in his eyes. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again, as if he was going to say something but then thought better. As amusing as it was to watch his son squirm, he hated being made to wait._

"_I asked a simple question Sebastian, don't keep me waiting. Who is this friend that had the concert?"_

_Sebastian swallowed as he responded, "Y—you don't know him, Fa—"_

"_I didn't ask if I knew him, I asked who he was," the words still came out smoothly from William's lips, not a hint of emotion, only a polite question._

"_I just—I don't want to bore you with stupid details about my friends. He's no one, Sir. It's not even worth your time t—"_

"_Sebastian, I am a man in my own home asking my son a question. Do not be rude and refuse to answer me, that is unless you'd like to be punished for your poor behavior."_

"_No," Sebastian said as he took a step forward, a pleading look in his eyes. William had barely finished speaking before Sebastian hurried out his word. "No Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"_

"_And now you're boring me with your groveling. Answer the question. I don't see why this is such a difficult thing for you."_

_Sebastian watched his father carefully, wishing desperately that his face might show a sign that he would let the topic drop, but it seemed as if luck with not on his side that evening, or any other for that matter when William Smythe was involved._

"_H—his name is…his name is…Blaine…" the words came out in a whisper. He averted his eyes and stared at the floor again._

"_Blaine," William Smythe repeated._

_Sebastian hated the way Blaine's name sounded coming from his father's lips. It sounded evil. It sounded dirty. It was wrong._

"_Yes, Sir."_

"_Good, now was that so hard?" Mr. Smythe asked with a smile on his face._

_Sebastian was terrified of that smile. It was the same smile that usually announced the beginning of another cut or bruise._

"_No," his answer was barely audible._

_Sebastian held his breath, waiting for something, anything that his father might do. He winced slightly, preparing for it._

_He waited._

"_Sebastian," his father started._

_The boy looked at his father expectantly, trying to show him that he was listening carefully. He winced slightly when he saw William's arms extend out into the air._

"_Come give your father a hug."_

_The simple request almost stopped Sebastian's heart. His father had never asked him for a hug before. He couldn't remember the last time his father even touched him in a way that didn't leave cuts or bruises. He just stared at his father, dumbfounded and caught completely off guard._

"_For Heaven's sake Sebastian, don't just stand there."_

_It was a trap. He knew it. He knew it and there wasn't anything he could do. He continued to stare at his father, standing there with his arms out and a smile on a face, a smile that conveyed anything but happiness. Sebastian swallowed the fear in his mouth as he took a small step forward, moving his foot carefully as if he expected the ground to crumble beneath his feet. He closed the short distance between him and his father as he forced himself across the room. When he reached his father and felt the man's strong arms close in around him, he felt his body cry out in protest. He wanted to run. He wanted to scream, but all he could do was stand there._

"_Sebastian?" his father said into his ear._

"_Yes Sir?"_

"_Don't you ever make me wait like that again, do you understand?" His voice dropped an octave, sending shivers through Sebastian's spine. The boy nodded his head slowly._

_A split second later, Sebastian felt his father's arms squeeze around him tightly, making it hard for him to breath. He gasped for air when his father let go, standing long enough to receive slap to the face, sending him backwards to the ground._

"_God! You can't even hug me without being a disappointment you little shit, can you!?" he bellowed loudly, smirking as he watched Sebastian scamper backwards on his hands._

_Sebastian was still low to the ground as his father's sill half-full glass flew through the air and crashed against the wall behind him. He felt small shards of glass fall onto his head as his back suddenly felt wet from the leftover scotch. He pulled his arm slightly away from his face as he looked up at the looming figure above him._

"_Who the fuck do you think you are, making me wait in my own house!"_

_The man reached down and grabbed Sebastian's shirt, dragging him up and slamming him into the wall. Sebastian felt the hardness of the wall behind him and shut his eyes momentarily, shocked from having his head hit the wall's surface. _

_He shook his head back and forth, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry Sir! I didn't mean to—"_

_His words only seemed to cause more anger and hatred in his father when he felt a fist collide with his left eye._

"_You sound so pathetic!" his father spat in a hissing voice. "How the hell can you belong to me? How the fuck did I get so unlucky as to end up with you as _my son_!?"_

_Sebastian shut his eyes as he tried to hold back the tears. He felt his father's hot breath on his face. He could feel the man's spit spraying him. His words grew louder the more he spoke and they echoed in his mind. He kept his eyes shut, hoping that taking away the sight of his father might cause the actual man to somehow disappear as well._

"_You know I used to think I had a worthy son, someone who could carry on the name of Smythe with pride. I had a son that could make me proud, one that I could point to and say 'That's my boy! I had a son worthy of this family and pedigree. A son that would give me grandchildren and one that wasn't a complete failure!"_

_Sebastian stayed still, the only part of him that moved was his trembling jaw. He slowly opened his eyes, millimeter by millimeter and was met with the sight of his father, looking at him as though he was the dirtiest thing in the world._

"_But no," William's face contorted in a demonic scowl that he had never seen before, "no, instead life thought it would be funny to turn you into some faggot instead. Instead of all that I hoped for, I ended up with _you_."_

_Sebastian shut his eyes once again in fear when he saw his father pulling back his hand to strike him. It was a hit that he could have easily dodge or blocked, but would have never dare to. His father's hand struck his face, causing a sharp sting. Tears feel from Sebastian's eyes._

"_You're pathetic, unworthy of the breath in your lungs, do you know that?" It wasn't so much a question as an accusation. _

"_Answer me, Boy!" his father screamed._

_Sebastian gasped as he felt his father slap him again. _

"_Yes…"_

"_Yes what!?"_

_Sebastian could feel a tear carving its way down his cheek. _

"_I'm pathetic…I…I don't deserve to be alive."_

_His compliance was met with another hit, this one knocking him to the floor. He felt his cheek slam into the rug that thankfully cushioned his fall, if only a little. He squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating his father's next blow…_

Sebastian's eyes opened as he sat up from his nightmare. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, wincing at the pain he felt on his cheek. No, it wasn't a nightmare, it was his life. He looked around the room and noticed that the sun was casting its rays into the room, slowly shining away his anxiety.

He was thankful that Blaine wasn't around. Not only did he not want Blaine to witness the way he woke up from dreams about his father, he didn't want to put Blaine in a place where he'd feel the need to help. His father was right, there was no way that Blaine would want to be with him if Blaine knew who he really was.

Yes, his father was an abusive tyrant, but there was no denying the truth: he, Sebastian Smythe, was broken. He wasn't a superhero. He wasn't a whole human being. He didn't have the compassion, the caring, the worth that most people did. He wasn't like Blaine. Blaine was a good person. Blaine was smart, funny, good, considerate. People cared about him. People would inconvenience themselves for him in a second. _He_ was the type of person that would be missed.

But him? Sebastian? He wasn't good. He didn't have much compassion for others. He didn't really care about other people. He wasn't any good to anyone unless he was buying them something or on his back (or in between their legs…depending on his mood). He wasn't like Blaine. People didn't care about him. Hell, his own father hated him. He couldn't imagine anyone putting themselves out for him. Why would they? They would require them to care, and not simply use him. And who would do that?

He lifted himself from the mattress, grabbed his dry clothes that were sitting, folded on top of Blaine's dresser and waiting for him. He walked out into the hallway and started heading towards the noises that he heard coming from the kitchen. Blaine was undoubtedly whipping up a chef's breakfast or something equally as thoughtful.

He paused in front of the wall of family photos that Mrs. Anderson had no doubt arranged. It was covered in various frames, each containing a picture that only served to taunt Sebastian. He had seen the pictures numerous times on his way to and from Blaine's room, but he had never actually stopped to look at them. His eye stopped at a picture of Blaine with whom he assumed was Mr. Anderson. He walked up to examine the photograph more closely. It was a picture of a middle-school-aged Blaine on what looked to be a fishing trip. They were both wearing those vests and hats covered in tacky fishing-type stuff. Hooks? Little fish statues? Sebastian had no idea. The closest he had ever been to fishing was when his family would go yachting in the south of France.

Sebastian thought back to what he had said to Blaine the previous night, referring to Blaine's family life as perfect. He knew that was a low blow at the time, but he couldn't help the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. He was more than aware of the tension in the Anderson household ever since Blaine had come out as being gay. His parents had not been happy of the fact that one son chose to waste his life with acting and the other had chosen to throw away his chances of happiness to indulge in "inappropriate behavior," as they had apparently put it. He remembered the night Blaine had confessed the detail about his life. They had been curled up on the couch in the middle of a The O.C. DVD marathon. Sebastian had asked why Blaine's parents always seemed to be away on business trips or vacations. It had been a humbling moment for Sebastian to hear Blaine talk about his struggles with his parents. He was ashamed how comforted he felt by the fact that Blaine had been pushed away emotionally by his parents. He knew he shouldn't feel like that. He knew it was wrong to take pleasure in another person's pain, but it made Sebastian feel better to know he wasn't the only rejected child, though he still doubted that the Anderson's disapproval came close to his father's levels of hatred for him. It should have been a moment, an opportunity for him to open to the curly-haired boy, but Sebastian instead chose to only nod his head and rub Blaine's arm in support.

He looked at the picture, at how close Mr. Anderson held his son. This was clearly before Blaine chose to come out to his parents, to stop lying to them. The smiles on their lips and in their eyes clearly conveyed the message that this was a happy father and son. Sebastian could feel his hands shaking slightly, the jealousy welling up in his stomach. Seeing the two so happy in the picture brought him back to the moment where his relationship with his own father had changed for good.

_Sebastian walked into the kitchen, hoping to find the maid to make him a snack. He had just finished another long day in the fourth grade. He dropped his backpack on the countertop and poked his head into the butler's pantry, one of Renata's favorite places to do her work._

"_Renata!" he yelled as he twirled his body lazily in a circle in the middle of the kitchen. "Renata, I'm hungry! You need to make me a snack!" _

_He walked over to the table and took a seat, impatiently waiting for the maid to appear. What was taking her so long? She was usually a lot quicker than this. Sebastian frowned as he looked at the staircase, leading up to the second floor. Where was the woman? She was paid to do what he wanted, wasn't she? He wanted a snack!_

"_Renata! I said I'm hungry! Where are you?" he yelled up the stairs after walking over. _

_He was fuming at this point. He had had a long day and all he wanted with a simple sandwich. Why was that such a difficult thing for her to understand? It's not like _she_ had had to sit through an entire day's worth of a boring teacher talking non-stop._

"_Renata! You get down here right now or I'm telling Father to fire you!"_

_He folded his arms and smirked as he tapped his foot, fully expecting to see a running maid at any second. He waited._

_And waited._

_Nothing._

"_What the hell!" he yelled as he stomped over towards his Father's study. He didn't bother to knock. Why should he? His father's maid wasn't doing her job, surely his father would be just as upset as he was._

"_Father, Renata is not coming! I don't know where she is, but sh—"_

"_Not now, Sebastian." _

_Sebastian grew even more upset. Of course, not now! He _always_ had to wait. It was the story of his life. His father never had time for him. There was always something more important._

"_But Father, I'm hungry and she—"_

"_I said not now you little shit! Get out!" Mr. Smythe shouted._

_Sebastian was seeing red._

"_It's always not now! It's always later! You always tell me to go away!" he screamed, feeling his face growing pink from all the blood rushing to it._

"_What the fuck, Sebastian! I don't have time for yo—"_

"_You never have time for me!" he yelled, closing his eyes. He had never been this angry before. His father was a horrible father, never paying attention to him and always making him wait. It was as if every frustration that Sebastian had ever felt in his short 10 years of life had been bottled up just for this moment._

"_You always say 'go away'! You always tell me to leave you alone! You don't even care about me! You hate me!"_

_Sebastian's breathing was ragged at this point. It felt like his chest was about to explode and he could feel the tears falling from his eyes from sheer anger._

"_I bet if I was Will, you'd listen. I bet if I was him you wouldn't tell me to go away!"_

_The two froze at that statement. Sebastian had never said that. He'd never told his father how he felt, how he thought his father loved his brother more than him. It was a relief. He felt a million times better. He smiled to himself, not noticing the paling of William's face. He liked the way this felt. _

"_Don't you even say his name you little—"_

"_Will! Will! WILL! There! You love him more than me and you know it! You always loved him more than me and I hate you! I hate you because…" Sebastian's voice trailed off. He had been on a roll, but he didn't know what to say next until it popped in his head a few seconds later. He knew what he could say to truly hurt his father._

"_I hate you because I hate both of you! I hate you! I hate Will! I wish you were both dead and th—"_

_The rest of Sebastian's sentence was never spoken because in the middle of his tantrum, his father had jumped up from his chair and slapped him. He felt his little, skinny body fly through the air, landing on the rug a few feet back. _

_He screamed. _

_He sobbed._

_His body shook violently and tears streamed down his cheeks as his cries filled the room._

"_Don't you fucking say that! Don't you fucking say that you ungrateful FUCKING FUCK!" William screamed as he stood over a crying Sebastian._

"_You want him dead? Is that what you want, Sebastian? You want YOUR OWN BROTHER DEAD?"_

_Sebastian could barely hear his father's screaming over his own. His father had hit him! He had never hit him before! He had yelled! He had called Sebastian names, but he had never touched him before._

_His father had always favored his older brother Will. When Will became a Marine, his father couldn't have been more proud. It was always "Will this" and "Will that." Sebastian hated it. He hated his father for only caring about his brother. He didn't really hate Will. He actually loved Will, but he hated the way that his father made him hate his brother. He made Sebastian jealous. He made Sebastian feel like he could never be good enough. Will had left for the Marines four years ago and things had only gotten worse at home. It was as if everything Sebastian did was wrong. "Will never did this" or "That's not how Will would have done it" were common phrases heard in the house. Even at school, Sebastian hated how teachers always compared him to his older brother. He wished his brother wasn't so perfect. He hated that everyone loved Will and that no one loved him._

_He looked at his father through his teary eyes, finally actually seeing the man for the first time. William Smythe was red in the face. He had never seen his father look this angry. It moved something inside of Sebastian. He liked how this felt. He liked that he could affect his father this badly. He liked that he could make his father angry just like he, himself felt. He'd never felt like this before. He liked it and he wanted even more._

"_Yes!" he screamed, as he did his best to stop the heavy breathing from his crying. "I wish he were dead! I hope he dies over there! And I hope you die! I hate you and I hate him! I hate this whole family! I wish I were never born!"_

_He smirked in victory as his father turned white. He had done it. He had made his father feel horrible. He hit him where it hurt. He was able to take on the mighty William Smythe and come out on top. He stood up from his spot on the ground and wiped his tears off his cheeks. They had stopped coming. There was no more sadness, only joy from winning the battle._

_He jerked backwards in fear as his father brought up his hand. He didn't want to be hit again, but then he relaxed when he father simply dropped a piece of paper on the floor in front of him. Sebastian stared at the paper, a letter? He looked at his father, his eyes asking what it was._

"_You want your brother dead, Sebastian? Well wish granted…he's dead."_

_The words came out in a hoarse whisper._

_Sebastian thought he stopped breathing in that moment. He froze where he stood, unable to move._

"_I received this today. He's dead and he's never coming home. My son is dead. He's dead and this is _all…your…fault_."_

_The last three words came out in a violent growl. Sebastian felt his knees give out and he found himself crumpling to the floor. He tried to scream, tried to cry, but no sound came out of his voice. His throat hurt from his attempts to scream. The tears came back, more numerous than before. It was as if someone had stabbed him in the gut and then began twisting the blade, trying to cause as much damage and pain as possible. He felt his head connect with the ground as he was finally able to scream in pain, in anguish. _

_He cried._

_He cried for what felt like days, weeks, years. He cried until he thought there was nothing left in him, and then he cried more. He shed tears not of a child, but of a guilty murderer. It was his fault. _He_ was the one that wished his brother's death._

"_I hope you remember this little tantrum for the rest of your pathetic life," he father spat, never having moved from his spot in the room. "You remember what you said. You remember that you were the one who wanted this. You remember that this is your fault. You're the one who took away my son, and I hope you cry like this every single day of your fucking life. I. Hate. You. As far as I'm concerned, I lost both my sons today."_

Sebastian wiped away the tear on his cheek. This was not the place to relive the memory. He needed to stop these silly emotions. This wasn't befitting of a Smythe. He breathed in deeply.

"'Morning Sleepy Head," Blaine smiled as he poked his head around the corner. "I was just going to wake you up. I thought eleven o'clock was enough sleeping in, don't you?"

Sebastian forced a smile on his face as he turned towards Blaine: "Yeah, thanks. Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to freak out on you like that."

Blaine smiled, though Sebastian could still see his eyes lingering over what he assumed were the bruises on his face; nevertheless, Blaine was smiling, and that meant that he believed that everything was OK. It wasn't a shock. Sebastian had been wearing his mask for years.

"You don't have to apologize Sebastian. You had a rough night and I get it. I'm sorry I was so pushy with the whole thing. I know he's your dad and I get that you don't like it when I say things against him, but…I just hope you can understand that I only say those things because I care about you, and it makes me angry when other people don't treat you the way they should."

Sebastian smiled, he knew that Blaine read the smile as happiness, but it was a self-deprecating smile. It was a smile that knew how wrong Blaine was. Yes, his father was abusive, but it wasn't anything that he didn't deserve. It was _his_ fault that Will was dead. He deserved every punch and hit, every single hurtful word.

"Well, I'm sorry for saying what I said about your family. That wasn't fair of me," Sebastian replied, truly sorry for saying such a hurtful thing to Blaine.

His heart melted at the sight of Blaine's smile. Even after all the bullshit and mean things Sebastian said, Blaine could still smile at him like that. He didn't deserve it. Blaine shouldn't have to smile despite those things.

"You were upset and people say things they don't mean when they're upset. I know you. I know you'd never really try to hurt a person that badly on purpose. Little things, yeah, you're not above them," he smiled playfully, "but I know you'd never really try to hurt someone like that."

Blaine's words were like a knife to Sebastian's heart. If only Blaine knew how horrible a person he actually was. How young he had started out. He swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to look at the pictures again, hoping for a distraction. His eye was immediately drawn to a picture of a young Blaine. He walked up to examine the photograph more closely.

It was a picture of him and who he assumed to be his brother, Cooper. Sebastian recalled countless conversations he had with Blaine about the older Anderson son. Blaine had confided in him that he had looked up to Cooper as a young boy, but that changed when he grew a little older and began receiving Cooper's heavy amounts of criticism. The two drifted apart. They had only just reconciled the previous year. Blaine had always shrugged the lapse in their closeness as being just a byproduct of growing up, but Sebastian knew that it affected him more than he let on.

Sebastian stared at the picture, a young, possibly four-year-old Blaine riding on the back of his teenaged brother. Sebastian frowned as he looked at the two smiling faces. He knew a thing or two about idolizing an older brother.

"Is that Cooper?" he asked.

Blaine's faced read surprised as he looked to the picture that Sebastian was pointing to. He walked up and laughed embarrassedly.

"Uhh…yeah. Oh, I guess you've never met him. Yeah, that's us back when we were a lot younger. Don't look at it. I look horrible," he said as he tried to push Sebastian away, blocking the photo from view.

"What? You don't look stupid!" Sebastian defending him, inserting his own laughter as he gently grabbed Blaine's shoulders and moved him to the right of the photo frame.

"I think you look great."

"I have an afro."

"Well I'm sure you were the cutest Jew on the block," Sebastian said with a smirk.

"Ha…ha…ha…you do wonders for my self-esteem, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiled as he continued to look at the picture, completely aware of Blaine's face growing redder and redder in his peripheral.

"What was happening in this picture?"

Blaine turned his face away from Sebastian and tried to search his mind for the correct memory: "I think my mom said we were playing in our sprinkler in the backyard. That's why we're wet in the picture."

Sure enough, as soon as Blaine said that, Sebastian noticed the water droplets hanging in the boys' hair, wetting their shirts.

"I guess it used to be my favorite. My mom said I would be out there for hours, so long that our yard began to turn into a mud pit. I don't really remember much, but I do remember one day. I don't know if it was the day as this picture, I think I was five or something when this was taken, but I remember one day when Coop carried me back and forth on his back."

Sebastian was mesmerized by the smile on Blaine's face. He was lost in his own memory and it was showing on his face.

"I kept yelling for him to go again and again. I think I was into cowboys at that point because I remember yelling 'yee-haw' like some crazy lunatic. I don't really remember much else, I just remember having the time of my life on my big brother's back," he looked down as the smile faded. "I don't have a lot of those types of memories about Coop. Usually they're just ones where he was yelling at me or making me feel stupid."

Sebastian didn't like the turn the story had taken.

"But, things are better now. I guess I just need to focus on the memories we still get to make, right?"

Sebastian smiled as he shook his head: "Ever the optimist."

"Of course," Blaine replied, "I'd go crazy, otherwise."

The two boys shared a smile before Blaine continued speaking: "I know I complained about him a lot, but I'm still glad I had him growing up. It's just nice to know that you always have that big brother there if you need him. Even when he was a jerk to me, Coop still beat up any of the kids who made fun of me in school. I wish you were able to have that, Sebastian."

"What?" he asked, startled.

"You're an only child. You didn't have that person looking out for you. Maybe if you did, it wouldn't be so hard for you to believe that I care about you and that I'm always here if you need me," Blaine said as he reached over and grasped Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian quickly let go of the hand, fearing that Blaine would feel his fingers trembling. He recalled his smile when he noticed Blaine frowning: "You'd beat up the other kids for me?"

"Of course," Blaine smiled.

They continued their conversation as they moved to the kitchen and ate. Sebastian quickly excused himself thereafter and left. He drove around for the whole day. He knew he couldn't go back to his house, his father would still be there. He knew he couldn't go back to Blaine's because he needed to start putting a brake on that. Blaine was getting too close and Sebastian didn't want to pull him in any closer. As much as he felt a magnetic pull towards the shorter publically educated boy (shudder), he knew it wasn't fair to him. It wasn't fair that Sebastian presented himself as this stable person when he was anything but. He couldn't let Blaine fall for a lie and he couldn't let himself tell the truth. Despite his want for Blaine, he knew he had to let him go: the only thing worse than giving someone up was losing them because they finally saw the real you.

He had been deceiving himself the past few weeks, thinking that he and Blaine could be anything. It had taken his own father, of all people, to remind Sebastian just how damaged he was. He was broken goods, no longer valuable. Blaine deserved better. He ignored the texts that Blaine sent him throughout the day and the call at night.

Sebastian pulled his car into the hotel parking lot where he usually went when his father was home. He had tried to get a room in the passt, but his fake ID never seemed to work there. He climbed back into the backseat of the car and set up his pillow and blanket after having pulled them out of the trunk. It was a return to familiar settings. It was what he used to do before he started sleeping at Blaine's house. He was always very thankful that his car had tinted windows. He brought his knees up to his chest and pulled the blanket tight around him. He did his best to forget about the day's events, about the memories that had been brought to light. He tried his best to not think about the brother he lost, but he couldn't stop thinking about Blaine's story from the picture.

— **Glee —**

"_Faster, Willy! Faster! You can't catch me!" screamed the four-year-old Sebastian in his little voice, his "R's" coming out like "W's."_

"_I'm coming, you little cheetah!" Will yelled as he gently jogged through the yard: "You're going too fast! I can't catch up!"_

_The two boys were running in circles playing tag, Sebastian's favorite game. His little legs carried him across the grass. His screams of laughter filled the air as he ran, doing his best to stay ahead of his older brother._

"_Woah, Squirt," Will called as he stopped and faked some panting, "I think I need a break. You're getting way to fast for me. What's Yolanda putting in those snacks for you? You're getting fast like a superhero!"_

_Sebastian's eyes lit up at the compliment: "Yeah? You think, Willy?"_

"_Of course," Will replied as he sat down and stretched himself across the grass, his arms behind his head as he stared up at the clear blue summer day: "I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it, Squirt!"_

_Sebastian ran over to his brother and jumped onto his stomach. Will had seen the little body flying at him and had thankfully been prepared for the impact. He caught his little brother only inches above his stomach. The two laughed as Sebastian snuggled into his brother's side, wrapping his arm across Will's stomach as mush as possible._

"_I think I'd be a good superhero!" Sebastian declared._

"_I second that notion."_

"_What ocean? What's that mean?" Sebastian asked._

"_Don't worry about it," Will answered. He smiled as he pulled one of his arms from behind his head and wrapped it around Sebastian's torso: "So what's your superhero name gonna be?" _

"_Squirt! Duh!" Sebastian exclaimed, having a giggle fit._

"_I'm gonna the be the bestest and fastest and strongest and bestest superhero in the whole-wide world!"_

"_Are you now?"_

"Yep!"

_Will laughed as he rubbed his brother's head. Sebastian had a tendency to take things to the extreme. He never committed to things halfway; he cannonballed into everything, giving it 110%. The previous year, he didn't just get into a dinosaur phase, he made their father buy him skeleton sets and set them up around his room. An artist came to paint a dinosaur mural above his bed and he insisted on wearing a dinosaur Halloween costume every day for two weeks. When asked why, he patronizingly told them that if a dinosaur got lost and came to their house, then they would know that Sebastian wanted to be friends with them._

_Will lifted his head and looked down at his brother. Superheroes were his newest obsession. He had already spent hours with Sebastian at the comic book store in the mall, picking out various issues of Superman, Spider-man, Batman, and Wonder Woman, oddly enough. _

_All the talk about superheroes in their house had started Will thinking about what he wanted to do with his life. He was about to graduate from high school and he had no clue what his next step was. Maybe he should take a page out of his little brother's book and become a superhero?_

"_Well, not that I don't believe or doubt you Squirt, because you know I'll totally be there when you graduate from superhero school and all, but what makes you think you'll be the best superhero in the world?"_

_He saw Sebastian turn his head up with an annoyed expression: "Willy, I'm gonna be the best 'cause you gonna teach me! I don't need to go to superhero school! I won't have time. I have to go to preschool!"_

"_I'm going to teach you?" Will asked, surprised by the answer._

"_Yeah, Silly! You can teach me 'cause you already went to superhero school. Silly Willy!" Sebastian giggled at his own little discovery, immediately loving the nickname._

"_What do you mean I went there? I've never told you that I went to a superhero school, did I?"_

"_No, but you're fast! You run faster than anyone. You even beat Billy from next door, and he's the fastest kid I know. And you're strong! You help carry in bags from the store and you can take all of them at the same time. And Yolanda always makes you open jars for her when they're stuck! And you can fly!"_

_Will couldn't help the smile coming to his face: "Fly?"_

"_Yeah, that one time Conner was chasing you, you fly'ed over the bushes when you was running! I saw from my window!" Sebastian said as he demonstrated the moment with his hands. He even included little kid sound effects to enhance his story._

"_Wow, I guess I am a superhero, huh?"_

"_Yeah," Sebastian said more quietly, pensively._

_"I guess I can't be the bestest superhero in the whole-wide world, but I'm OK with being the second bestest," Sebastian continued._

"_What do ya mean, Squirt?"_

"_Well, I can't be better than you. But that's OK. I'm not big like you yet, but I will be and _then _I can be the bestest superhero in the world! Is that OK with you Willy if I'm the bestest when I'm big?" Sebastian asked hesitantly, clearly scared that his brother might not like losing his title one day._

"_It sure is! I can't wait to see you when you're all grown up and tall like me! I bet you'll be even taller with bigger muscles," he laughed when he saw Sebastian's eyes light up with excitement: "I bet all the girls will be wanting to give you kissies when they see you!"_

_Sebastian laughed as he screamed and wiggled around in the grass next to Will: "No! No girls! No kissies!"_

_Will laughed as he waited for Sebastian to stop moving around. He gently rubbed his little brother's shoulder, effectively calming him down: "But for real Squirt, I bet you're gonna be awesome when you grow up. What do you think?"_

"_I wanna be just like you Willy! I wanna be tall and have big muscles like you," Sebastian said as he nuzzles his cheek into his brother's stomach. He looked up at Will with that look on his face, the look he wore right before he told a secret. "And…and I even practiced my muscles in the mirror before, so I think they'll be big when I'm big."_

_Will smiled, not daring to laugh, knowing how sensitive his brother was. If he thought you were laughing at him, Sebastian would never tell you a secret again for the rest of his life._

"_Well I think that's a great idea, Squirt. That's how Daddy and I got our muscles. We practiced our muscles in the mirror when we were little, just like you are!"_

_He laughed when he saw Sebastian's eyes grow big, accepting the knowledge as absolute truth._

"_I'm happy you're my big brother Willy," Sebastian said with a yawn._

_Will smiled, "I'm glad I'm your big brother too, Squirt. I'm even happier that you're my little brother. I'm the luckiest big brother in the world!"_

"_Are you always gonna be my big brother, Willy?"_

"_Always," Will promised with a smile._

"_Promise, Willy?"_

"_Promise, Squirt."_

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, again, sorry for not updating last weekend! Crappy move. I feel bad. Curse you life! Wah!**

**So anyone else feel a little bummed? I was kinda just…yeah…while writing this. I made myself a little depressed with this. It's a different tone from the rest of the story, but I wanted to dive into Sebastian's past a bit with this (we even got a small look into Blaine's life as well). I hope you liked it? What did you think of what I came up with? This history has been in my head as I wrote since about chapter 3 or so. I hope it wasn't too much, and by that, I mean the scene with his father. Let me know what you think. I tried to make this one longer due to the gap in between posts (though RoseCriss got the little preview since she asked). Again, please don't get used to this cause I'm putting money on chapter 18 sitting somewhere around 4k.**

**So thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Total screw-ups? Let me know what you think. I live for feedback, good or bad. The good ones makes you feel good and want to write more. The bad ones make you think about what the heck your doing and if it's as good as you think it is in your head. :) I will tell you that this will throw a bit of a wrench in their developing relationship. They were kind of moving fast in the dating department, so I kind of wanted to pull back a little because I felt like they were getting to the point where one was going to proclaim his undying love. My question to you is this: How would you like to see the boys come back together? Do we want a big romantic "Aww!" moment, or something less Katherine Heigl? I need ideas. **

**Thank you to all who came out to support the last (beast of a) chapter! Thank you's to: OMGAKAWTF, Uchiha 'Karite' Shikyo, Aquaria245, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, RHatch89, TVTime, teenietia, brittana5, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, BelugaLoki, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, FriskyFriar, RoseCriss, Forever Gleek2000, Des, Jessie05.12, TheChildOfTheTardis, BelaGray, anderpson, and Chewi.x! Rockstars. All of you!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The boys will drift apart and try to fix their relationship...in whatever fashion you guys come up with. :) **


	18. Tough Love Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry today is Monday! But at least I got it out sooner than 2 weeks like last time! So here it is. Oh, and I'll shoot you a preview of the next chapter if you can spot the Will & Grace reference! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Only own my idea. If only, right?**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Eighteen: Tough Love Part I**

"I just don't get why he's being like this," Blaine lamented as he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I still think you might be freaking out over nothing, Dude. Maybe he's just been busy?" Sam asked.

"Ignoring a few texts and calls in busy, this is more than busy," Blaine replied.

"Exactly how many texts and calls are we talking about here?" Tina asked.

Blaine blushed as he looked at his two friends. Out of all of the students in the glee club, Blaine always felt closest to Tina and Sam, in that order. Currently, they were all spending their lunch period in the now empty choir room.

"I…" Blaine started, "…I really don't think that a number is that important right now."

Sam started laughing as he looked over at his friend: "Dude, that's something stalkers say." He ignored the glare that Blaine directed towards him, "How many times have you called him? Like 10?"

Blaine simply remained sitting in his chair with his head facing the ground.

"15?" Tina asked.

Blaine didn't look up.

"Whoa…20, Bro?" Sam asked.

Blaine sighed as he looked up: "27 texts and 13 calls," he mumbled.

Sam blinked as he looked at his friend, "I mean…I was joking before, but that's a little creepy, Dude."

"You're not helping things right now, Sam," Tina said, shooting the blonde a look.

"Hey, I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't want Sebastian to think Blaine's crazy or anything," Sam defended.

"Why do you think he isn't returning your calls or texts?" Tina asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"I don't know," Blaine responded, still slumped in his seat: "I don't get it. He knows this is what Kurt did to me towards the end. He knows how much I hated it. Why would he do this? Nothing even happened? We talked for a little after Sectionals and I even told him…"

"Told him what?"

Blaine looked at Sam, debating on whether or not to finish his sentence. The two boys were close, but they had never talked about sex before. Sam was definitely comfortable with Blaine being gay, but he'd never heard about Blaine's sex life before. Knowing your friend was gay and then really _knowing_ they were gay were two different things.

"I…it's a…a…you know…_that_…sort of thing," Blaine said with a blush.

"I have no clue what you're trying to say," Sam responded with a blank expression.

"I think he means sex," Tina offered with an amused smile.

"How the hell did you get sex from that?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Blaine and I are close."

"So? We're close too," Sam defended.

"Yeah, but you're guys. You just play video games and talk about comic books. We actually know each other. It's a girl/gay thing," Tina teased.

"Hey, I can talk about feelings and stuff too!"

"What are you two even arguing about?" Blaine asked, annoyed that the conversation had turned into a 'Who knows Blaine better' competition.

"She's saying I don't know you!" Sam shouted, his competitive nature exposing itself.

"You don't."

"Trust me, I know the guy. We work out together all the time. We've showered in the same room. I've seen the guy naked!" Sam shot back.

"I've seen him naked and crying," Tina responded without missing a beat.

"Can we please not talk about me being naked!?" Blaine almost yelled, bringing the two's attention back to him: "This isn't a competition!"

Blaine couldn't make out the mumbled comment that came out of Sam.

"So what did you tell him about sex?" Tina asked, bringing them back to the point of the conversation.

"You were gonna give it up, weren't you?" Sam asked.

Blaine looked at his friend. Apparently he had been wrong in thinking that Sam might be uncomfortable with the topic of gay sex. As he was looking at Sam, it was as if the blonde was able to read his mind.

"Dude," Sam said with a small laugh, "I don't care that you take it up the butt. Sex is sex, just don't ask me to watch or anything."

Blaine smiled and shook his head: "Why would I ever ask you to do that?"

"I don't know how you guys do this," Sam replied, "I'm just saying."

"Well, I kind of maybe made it seem like something might happen that night when he came over. He practically ran out of the building. I thought he wanted to come over, but he took forever in getting there and then we he got to my place he was just…he was off."

"Did you guys…?" Tina asked.

"No, he was so out of it that we just talked for a minute and then went to sleep. He woke up and practically ran out the door after breakfast."

"What'd you have for breakfast?" Sam asked, his question being accompanied by his growling stomach.

"I think you need to talk to Sebastian," Tina interrupted: "We can talk all we want about this, but it doesn't actually tell you anything. He's the only one that can tell you what's going on."

"What do you think he's been trying to do with his creepy stalker impersonation?" Sam asked in a patronizing tone.

"What? I wasn't sta—"

"Well, he needs to try more. He's dating Sebastian Smythe, it's not like he walked into this thinking it'd be a walk in the park," Tina defended.

"I don't know, he's been pretty crazy already. He's tried. It's not his fault Sebastian is ignoring him."

"I thought Sebastian was just busy?"

"Oh, he's not busy," Sam rolled his eyes, "I was just trying to make the guy feel better."

"Hey!" Blaine shouted, "You two _do_ know I'm sitting right here, right? Can 'the guy' say something?"

The two friends turned to look at him, giving him their undivided attention. Blaine suddenly became nervous. What was he going to say? They entire reason he asked the two to have lunch with him was to get their opinions on the matter, hoping that they might have some advice for him. Now he had to say something.

Darn it.

"While I appreciate your opinions," he started, "I think that maybe you're both a little right. I do need to talk to Sebastian about this to figure out what happened. At the same time, I've done my part in trying to talk to him. I shouldn't worry over something that he clearly isn't worried about."

Tina nodded her head, agreeing with his diplomatic answer: "Well that sounds like a plan. So what does that mean in terms of you doing something?"

"I have no clue."

— **Glee —**

"Again! That sucked! Even Jeff's fat little-sister could move better than that!"

Sebastian was drilling the Warblers, preparing them for their Regionals competition. He glared as the group once again tried to complete their run-through of Maroon 5's "One More Night." The other Warblers were making mistakes left and right. It was as if they didn't know their left from their right.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you that you can't even do this? This is an easy combination? Trent, you keep taking two steps after the turn, it's only one: ONE FUCKING STEP! And Thad, seriously? Stop stomping around like a fucking angry lesbian. It's called dancing! Look it up!...And Jeff!..."

The blonde started to shake slightly, his prayers of going unnoticed were quickly squashed.

"Jeff, do you happen to own any scissors?" Sebastian asked.

"Y—y—ye—ye—"

"Well go home and jam them into your throat! You might as well, with the way that you've been sounding! And Dave, you—"

"Why don't we take a five-minute break and cool off for a little?" Nick spoke up, stepping forward.

"We don't need a break. What we need is a fucking miracle with the way that these fuc—"

"How about we make that a 15? We'll meet back here afterwards. Sebastian, can I talk to you?" he asked, grabbing his friend's arm and leading him away from the group.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, the scowl still strewn across his features.

"The attitude, the short fuse, the recommendation that one of you friends commit suicide."

"Jeff isn't m—"

"Fine, the recommendation that one of _my_ friends commit suicide!" Nick corrected himself.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not moody or pissy or anything like—"

"Uhh…Sebastian…I was wondering if—"

"Can you not see I'm talking to someone right now!?" Sebastian bellowed as the interrupting Warbler backed away quickly: "You have a FUCKING break right now! Go break! You can't even fucking take a break without fucking it up, can you!?"

Nick crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. He smirked when he saw his friend rolling his eyes: "You were saying?"

"Fine, I'm in a bad mood. What's the big deal?"

"Well," Nick began, "considering the fact that you've been pulling a Fidel Castro on our rehearsal today, I'd say it's a big deal."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian defended.

"What do I mean? You've made Jeff cry twice!"

"So?"

"We've only been practicing for 25 minutes, Sebastian."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and again and crossed his own arms. It was true, he was angry. He'd been in a bad mood ever since he'd left Blaine's house the previous week. He'd tried to not let his decision affect him. He tried to be the same person he had been for the past few months, but it seemed that without Blaine, everything just pissed him off. Any little thing set him off and made yelling just made him feel better.

"Look, it's me ok? No one else is around. Talk to me, Man. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on," Sebastian returned, fixing the floor with his gaze.

"So then what's with the PMS routine?"

Sebastian turned to look at Nick. Nick was his friend. Nick was a good friend. He never seemed to judge Sebastian and God knows that he tended to be right a lot (which Sebastian hated). Maybe he could help him through the decision? Maybe he could offer some advice as to what to do, but that required trust, and even though Sebastian liked Nick and considered him a friend, trust was still something that he wasn't readily able to do with anyone. But Nick had proven himself trustworthy, hadn't he?

Sebastian sighed, "Nothing's going on with Blaine."

"Well, we both know that's a lie. You practically bit off everyone's head and yo—"

"_Nothing's _going on with Blaine," Sebastian repeated again.

Nick looked at him. His inquisitive eyes made Sebastian feel uncomfortable, though he'd never admit or show it: "What exactly are you saying here?"

"I'm saying that nothing's happening. Whatever it was that we had going, it's over."

Understanding flashed across Nick's face before it was quickly replaced with concern. Sebastian hated that look on people's faces. He wasn't anyone's charity case.

"Whoa," Nick threw up his hands, "first off, I'm not pitying you. I can see that look in your eyes."

Sebastian grimaced. He hated that Nick knew him so well.

"And second, that sucks. I'm sorry. I know how much you liked him."

Sebastian shrugged as he pocketed his hands into his pants: "It's not like I was picking out china patterns for us or anything."

Nick gently slapped his shoulder, "So what happened? Did you do something?" The question was soft spoken, as if he was afraid of the answer.

"What makes you think I messed up?" Sebastian frowned.

"Well, I mean…no offense Man, but it's you. Plus you're crazy about the guy. Why the hell would _you_ end things?" Nick never broke eye contact with Sebastian as he spoke, effectively showing the other boy that he was determined to get an answer.

"Well, for your information, it actually was my decision." Sebastian's pride showed itself in the statement. He was Sebastian Smythe, and he would be damned if anyone ever thought he was the one who was dumped.

"What?" Nick choked out. He looked at Sebastian as though he had grown a third head: "What do you mean it was your decision? Where the hell did this come from?"

Sebastian frowned as Nick's voice got louder and undoubtedly attracted the attention of some of his fellow Warblers. One of the things Sebastian really hated about the group was the level of gossip that went around. A group of all-male singers were worse gossipers than housewives at a salon.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't start yelling your half of this conversation," Sebastian growled.

"Well I'd appreciate a blow job every morning when I woke up, but sometimes our hopes and dreams are beyond our reality," Nick bit back without a moment's hesitation.

"Why did you end things? You're in love with the guy!"

"I'm not in lo—"

"You are. You're just in denial," Nick interrupted. The two boys locked eyes, each waiting for the other to give in and speak. Nick was the first to break the silence: "So what happened? I thought things were going great with you two?"

"It just wasn't working out."

"It just wasn't working out?"

"It's what I said, isn't it?"

Nick glared at his friend, "Fuck you. You know you're not getting away with just saying that. Why'd you end things? Because you're gonna need a real good reason to get me to back you up on this."

"Fuck you too. And I'm not looking for your approval here. Last time I checked I didn't need your permission to do anything."

"What the fuck, Man? I get that you're taking your pissy attitude out on the guys, but I'm your friend, not your bitch. If you really want to push everyone away right now, then that's your call. I'm just trying to help, but fuck you if you really want to be a dick right now. You can deal with your stupid decisions on your own if that's what you really want."

Sebastian refused to turn his eyes away from Nick. He was right. Sebastian was being a dick. He shouldn't be talking to Nick this way, but he couldn't help but want to automatically shut people out. He wasn't wired to share his feelings or problems. He had grown up his entire life relying on only himself. Trusting people and opening up to them was something new to him. It was frightening and unfamiliar. It made him uncomfortable, but a part of him also craved it, begged for the connection and intimacy.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian mumbled.

The look of anger was still frozen on Nick's face.

"I'm sorry I was being a dick. I just…I'm not used to talking about things like this. I guess my default mode is 'ass'" Sebastian said, forcing himself to speak.

"Well, I'd say your default mode is more like 'little bitch,' but I appreciate the apology," Nick said was a smile. He laughed when he saw Sebastian roll his eyes: "OK, so we got all the homo emotions out of the way."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and shook his head again.

"So what happened?"

"He deserves better," was Sebastian's response while shrugging his shoulders: "I like him, yeah, but…but he needs someone who isn't going to fuck up his life or complicate it just by breathing."

Nick looked at Sebastian as if he had just said something stupid like "I feel like doing some cocaine off of an oiled up midget" or "Ke$ha is the lyrical genius of our generation."

"What!? You ended things because you all of a sudden think that you're not good enough for him?"

"Why would I put him through this if he could find someone better?"

"Because," Nick argued, "it's not your call to make. If you break up with someone, it's because you don't want to be with them. You don't take away someone's decision like that. It's his call if he could do better or not, not yours."

Sebastian opened his mouth to protest, but Nick continued talking: "And you're crazy, Man. He's not too good for you. You're a great guy!"

Sebastian started laughing and deflecting, dealing with the compliment the only way he knew how: "Whoa, I know you like me and all, but get your hand out of my pants."

"Get over it Smythe," Nick answered, "I'm not hitting on you. We both know that _I'm_ the one that could do better than you. But I was being serious. You are a good guy. Blaine's lucky to have you."

"What do I even bring to the table except for an uncontrolled anger management problem and a childhood worth of issues?" Sebastian asked, not even caring that some of the other Warblers had stopped what they were doing and were now openly listening to their conversation.

"You made the guy fun! Look, don't get me wrong. I love Blaine. He's an awesome guy and has always been a good friend, but he's always kind of been a little uptight. You couldn't really joke around with him because he always took things seriously. He was a goody-goody who always tried to stop us from pulling pranks because it wasn't the 'right thing to do'. But once I started talking to him again after seeing him in the park…well, he's cool now. He jokes around and he's more easy going."

Sebastian didn't notice the smile curving his own lips up as Nick continued speaking.

"That night we all went to the movies, I don't think I'd ever seen him laugh that much. And he was actually funny! Anna said that she liked you guys and that you made a really nice couple."

"She really said that?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, she said you guys were 'hot' and 'super cute together,' but I wasn't about to say that on my own," Nick grinned.

Sebastian's smile fell before he spoke, "It doesn't matter. It's still not fair to waste his time like this. He deserves someone better."

Nick dramatically sighed and jerked his body, doing his best to show is annoyance and disapproval: "Well, either way, it doesn't really matter what me or you think, what matters is what he says. What'd he say when you told him?"

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, what did he say to you when you told him that he could do better and that you were ending things?" Nick explained, stretching out his words as though Sebastian were the dumbest person in the world.

Sebastian frowned in confusion as his mouth opened and closed numerous times, trying to find the right words to say.

"Wait…" Nick began, "you _did_ talk to him about this, right?" He lowered his voice and stepped closer to Sebastian, trying to keep this part of their conversation private.

"Well…I mean…" Sebastian was still at a loss for words. "I thought that he'd just…I mean, if I didn't…"

"Are you telling me that you didn't even tell Blaine that things are over?" Nick asked, his tone getting harder, his words quieter, and his eyes growing narrower.

"I…just thought that he'd get the point if I didn't answer his calls," Sebastian responded lamely: "Isn't that how people break up?"

"No!" Nick hissed. "That's how a fuck head break up with people. Nice people actually tell the person 'Hey, this is over.' They don't just leave the other person hanging like this!"

"How was I supposed to know. I didn't think th—"

"No, you didn't think Sebastian. You were just being a fucking idiot." He took a step closer to Sebastian as he spoke: "I get that you've never dated someone before and I can cut you some slack for that. But this? This is fucked up man. You should know better! I know Blaine, and I'd put money down right now that he's been freaking out for however long this has been going on. If you don't want to be with him for some stupid reason, then that's your call. But you need to fucking man up and tell him that's what you want and not be a little bitch and let him freak out and think that he's done something wrong. You're the one who seems to think that this is a good idea, but fuck you for doing it like this. He's a friend of mine and you're pissing me off with the way you're treating him."

Sebastian was honestly rendered speechless from Nick's words. He didn't expect the Warbler to react the way he did.

"So get some balls, go over to him and apologize for being a pussy and explain things to him. So fuck you for doing this and fuck what you're doing. I honestly don't even want to deal with you right now. And don't bother coming back to rehearsals until you fix this." Nick was only a few inches away from Sebastian's face at the end of his rant. The other Warblers were scared that either one of them might take a swing at the other at any second.

"You can't kick me out of the group. I'm the Head Warbler," Sebastian countered, not willing to turn with his tail between his legs.

"Not to be a bitch and pull this move, but that wouldn't be the case if I told the guys what you did. Blaine's still our friend and I don't think they'd appreciate how you're handling things with him."

Sebastian took a step backwards, feeling the blow Nick's words dealt. He looked at his friend as though he had struck him: "Wow…thanks for reminding me that everyone loves Prince Blaine and hates the evil Sebastian. I know they all worship the ground he walks on, but I thought you'd at least have my back."

Nick's expression softened, if only a little: "I always have your back, but right now you're not in the right. You're both my friends, but you need to apologize. I know you're not good at those and this is the only way I can think of to make you do it without dragging your feet for weeks."

He'd never seen Sebastian look so wounded before. Nick took a step forward and raised his arms. Sebastian flinched away from him and brought his arms up, fists already balled. Nick frowned as he enclosed his arms around Sebastian and hugged his friend. He felt Sebastian stiffen in discomfort.

"I love you man. You're my bro, but you need to fix this, OK?"

He let go of the taller Warbler and held him at arm's length. He looked Sebastian in the eye and smiled before turning him around and giving him a soft push. He watched Sebastian walk out of the rehearsal room and down the hall. He thought about what he had said. It was definitely a 'tough love' sort of conversation. He didn't mean to be as blunt as he was, but he also didn't expect Sebastian to be so offended by his words. He watched as Sebastian disappeared around the corner. He knew his friend. He knew that he wasn't walking to his car to go apologize. He was probably walking to his car to go home and brood.

Nick made a decision right there and then. If Sebastian wasn't going to fix things, he would need to take matters into his own hands. He told the guys that he and Sebastian would miss the rest of practice. He grabbed his things and quickly walked out of the room and to his car.

He unlocked the door and threw his bag into the empty passenger seat. After turning the key, he quickly told his car to navigate him to William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The wheels of the Audi screeched slightly as it pulled out of the student parking lot and onto the road.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whew! So there is part one! This was meant to be one chapter, but I don't want to make you guys wait any longer for an update. This chapter and the next is going to be a lot of talking. You have these two conversations and then there'll be some more.**

**So what did you think? I know not much really happened, but hopefully it was still halfway enjoyable to read. I'd love to hear your opinions on this. What would you like to see/read? I know everyone has to have an opinion on how they want this to be rectified. I can say that I'm planning on resolving things (for the most part) in the next chapter. How resolved would you like them to be? Are you thinking:**

**Yes, everything is all good. They forgive each other and they're happy again.**

**They forgive each other and decide to move forward with their relationship knowing that they have some things to work with.**

**One of the guys will talk to the other and the response is something like "I need to think about this"**

**One of the guys talks to the other but it's still a "No, we shouldn't be together" sort of thing and have the reconciliation dragged out a little more?**

**By the by, I already have the "make-up" scene done in my head. I know who is going to be the first to make the move and I know how I want it to happen. I'm kind of amped to write that scene because I think I found a really great song to use (because, hellooo, this is Glee. Of course they do everything through song). The reaction itself and aftermath is what I'd love your opinions on!**

**Thanks so much to all who came out to review/favorite/follow: Aimee's stories, Hardcore-nellie12-fan (Nellie from The Glee Project?), StarKidPotterLove, BelugaLoki (longtime reviewer, first time follower!), anig75, prosper7593, Aquaria245, RHatch89, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, Guest(? And LOL at the angry sex), TVTime, Forever Gleek2000, anderpson, BelaGray, RoseCriss, Frisky Friar, teenietia, Des!**

**I'm hoping to get the next chapter (part two) up more quickly than this update since it's just a matter of typing everything out. It's already mapped out minus the ending, so let me know which way you'd like to see this go. I'm kind of open to suggestions. Thanks so much for all the support and love! You guys all deserve five dollars!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Nick tries to fix things, Blaine finally pops up, more Tina(! I know some of you will like that) a song is sung, and one of the boys tries to fix things with the other and then…I have no idea. We'll find out after I hear from you guys! :)**


	19. Tough Love Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm baaaaack! Another day, another chapter! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm awesome. Thought you should know.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Nineteen: Tough Love Part II**

Nick navigated his way through the halls of McKinley. He was surprised that he was able to just walk through the doors without anyone stopping him. A few of the students who were still present gave him confused looks, but no one bothered to stop and ask him what he was doing. If the roles were reversed and one of them had walked into Dalton, they would have been stopped and directed to the main office to sign in and get a visitor's pass. Apparently there wasn't as big a concern to keep students and faculty safe at a public school.

He shook his head, he was beginning to sound like Sebastian.

He walked a few more minutes, seemingly in circles because he had no idea where he was, before stopping an adult (hopefully a teacher and not some random pedophile and/or pervert who was also roaming the halls due to a lack of security) and asking where the choir room was. The adult quickly directed him to turn left at the end of the hall and to just look for the piano, as the door was usually open before hurrying off down the hall.

Seriously, he could easily kill everyone in the building and it seemed as if no one would even know that something was amiss? Actually, that'd be pretty badass…

He took the left as directed and kept a hopeful ear out for singing. It was after school and he hoped that the New Directions were still rehearsing so that he could catch Blaine. His hopes were squelched when he spotted a black grand piano sitting in the middle of, what he assumed was, the choir room. He poked his head in and saw a grouping of empty chairs on risers.

The room seemed to be deserted. He sighed in annoyance as he stepped into the room. It looked as though he would have to try Blaine's home. He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to walk out the door when he heard a loud thud behind him.

"I just organized those!"

Nick spun on his heels when he heard the other voice. He walked over to the door at on the far side of the room and saw the Mr. Shoe (though he always wondered why they called their choir director Mr. Shoe) that Blaine always talked about. He remembered the man from seeing him at previous competitions.

He knocked on the door and smiled when the man looked up from his spot on the floor.

"Hi."

"Hi," Mr. Schue responded as he continued to collect the sheets of music in front of him, "can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, I 'm assuming you're Mr. Shoe, the glee club director, right? I was just looking for a friend of mine."

"Ah, Blaine?" Mr. Schue asked as he stood up with the scattered music now neatly piled in his hands.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Nick asked, confused.

Mr. Schuester smiled as he nodded his head at Nick's blazer: "Well, Kurt and Blaine are my only students who've attended Dalton Academy. Since Kurt is currently in New York, I thought it might be a safe assumption that you were looking for Blaine."

Nick laughed as he realized his own mistake.

"The uniform sort of gave you away."

"Uhh…yeah, I guess I stick out a little."

Mr. Schue smiled: "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to be unhelpful. Blaine left a little bit ago. You could try his house maybe?"

"Mr. Schue!" Nick heard being yelled.

"Yes Tina?"

He saw the director look behind him at the disembodied voice, apparently named Tina.

"Principal Figgins asked me to tell you that he needs to see you in his office. I think it's something about Coach Sylvester. She was in there yelling at him when he stopped me."

Nick noticed the annoyed eye roll on the glee director's face when Tina spoke. He turned to see a sympathetic smile being directed at the man from a very attractive Asian girl. Too bad he was already spoken for. Maybe there was something to the public school system after all?

"Sorry again that I couldn't be any help. Good luck tracking Blaine down," Mr. Shoe said with a smile as he clasped Nick on the shoulder on his way out.

"You're looking for Blaine?" Tina asked.

Nick smiled at the girl, "Yeah. He's a friend of mine from his days at Dalton."

"Nick?"

Nick smiled, once again a little confused as to how these people knew things about him. The uniform made it obvious that he was looking for Blaine, but nothing about his appearance screamed, "Hi, my name is Nick!" Now, if he had actually been stopped and received a visitor's pass, that might be a different story.

"Blaine told me that he bumped into an old friend from Dalton named Nick when he was out for a run the other week. I'm just taking a guess that that's you."

Another nodding of understanding, "Yeah, I guess my reputation precedes me. Hi, I'm Nick, officially I guess."

Tina smiled, "I'm T—"

"Tina," Nick interrupted, "I can guess people's names too."

Tina returned the smirk that Nick was giving her, "I don't think it counts as guessing if Mr. Schue already said it earlier."

"Speaking of," Nick began, "why do you guys call him Mr. Shoe? His shoes looked really normal to me?"

He suddenly felt as though he asked a stupid question when Tina began laughing in his face.

Well that was a little rude.

"I'm sorry," Tina forced out between fits of laughter, "I don't mean to laugh, that's just…that's just a really random question."

"It seems like a perfectly legitimate question to me," Nick mumbled as he crossed his arms and looked around the room uncomfortably. He cursed Sebastian in his mind. It was _his_ fault that he was currently being laughed at by a complete stranger.

"I'm sorry," Tina apologized again, "that wasn't a good first impression. Ah! OK, I'm done…yes, I'm done laughing." She breathed out and smiled before talking some more: "His real name is Mr. Schuester. We call him Mr. Schue for short."

Nick smiled as he, once again, nodded his head in understanding: it seemed to be turning into a habit for him.

"Well, I guess that makes sense…and it also makes sense as to your laughing fit at my expense," he added playfully.

Tina smiled, accepting the jab. The two shared a few friendly words. Tina explained that she and Blaine had quickly become best friends that year due to their similar positions: having an out-of-state boyfriend in college. Nick explained how the two had met Blaine's first day at Dalton when he was assigned to show the new kid, Blaine, around the campus. Nick also explained how he and Sebastian had struck up their unlikely friendship that year.

"And that actually is kinda why I'm here," Nick finished. He had noticed the thin smile on Tina's face when he first mentioned Sebastian's name.

"I'm guessing you're talking about how your best friend pretty much went MIA on mine," Tina responded.

Nick sighed and nodded his affirmative: "Look, before you rush to any judgments like I'm sure you already have—and rightfully so—you should probably know the whole story."

Tina remained silent, crossing her arms and leaning back on the piano. Nick took that as his sign to continue.

"First off, I know you're probably pissed at Sebastian, and to be honest, I am too. I only found out today about him and Blaine breaking up and—"

"Wait, they're broken up? Since when?" Tina cut in.

"That's what I need to explain," Nick answered: "You see, Sebastian has this really weird idea in his head that just completely confuses me and I was actually hoping that maybe you might be able to help explain where he got it."

Tina raised an eyebrow, clearly confused as to where the conversation was going.

"Do you think it's possibly that any of your friends, or you too I guess, may have said something to him that would make him think that he isn't good enough for Blaine or that Blaine could do better?"

Tina frowned, "Well…I mean…yeah…but…that can't be it." Her words seemed to come out more as thoughts for herself, and not a response to Nick's question. She looked up and saw a confused look on his face.

"Sorry, I just mean that yes, I did say something to him, but I have no idea why it'd make him act this way. Before our Sectionals performance, I ran into him in the lobby. We talked a little and I sort of tested him. I asked him if he thought he was good for Blaine, if maybe he'd hurt Blaine more than help him. I'm not gonna lie, I told him that maybe Blaine was better off without him, but I figured that if he gave up after one comment from me, someone who's actually supportive of them, then he definitely would end up hurting Blaine. I said it, but he practically through a bitch fit in the middle of the lobby, telling me to mind my own business and that Blaine was the only person who could ever decide if he wasn't good enough."

"He said that?" Nick asked, even more confused.

"Yeah, I even sent Blaine to see him a little later and Blaine came back with a smile on his face and his bouquet of bow ties, which was so cute by the way. It was a big hit with the rest of the guys," Tina said with a smile.

"Yeah, he told me Blaine liked it."

"But, I mean, that was it. Everything was fine, last I knew. I don't know why he'd all of a sudden feel that way."

Nick scrunched his brows together in thought: "Could anyone else have said something to him? One of your other friends, maybe?"

Tina shook her head, "I mean it's possible I guess, but I doubt it. The bouquet kind of won most people over, and at least made the other ones stop saying things. I really don't think anyone would have said anything to him. I definitely would have heard about it by now, I'm sure."

Nick scratched his head and nodded. So Tina didn't say anything and the other New Directioners didn't say anything. What could have happened? Sebastian wasn't the type to just flip out for no reason. Actually, that was a lie. Sebastian wasn't the type to become incredibly insecure for no reason. Flipping out was a different story, Jeff's therapist's bank account could attest to that. Something definitely happened, but what?

"Well I'm out of ideas. I was almost positive one of you guys said something…no offense," he added at the end, realizing how his statement could be taken offensively.

"I know what you meant," Tina said, waving off his disclaimer.

"Well, I guess I'm back to trying to track him down."

"Actually," Tina said, "why don't you let me talk to him. I think I have a pretty good idea of where he might be right now."

Nick looked at the girl, trying to decide if he could trust her to fix things and not make Sebastian look any worse than he already did—not that the other Warbler didn't deserve the bad press.

"Look, like I said, I'm a fan of the two of them. I may not have been Sebastian's biggest fan when we first met last year—"

"He's really changed," Nick defended.

"But I definitely realized that it was a different Sebastian when we talked again a few weeks ago," Tina added.

"He's gone through a lot and I think Blaine's been really good for him. He's actually made him likeable," Nick said with a smile.

"He still comes off a little like an ass," Tina added with a smirk, "but I…he does come off a lot calmer than last year. I'm not waiting for him to stroke a fluffy white cat and steal our Nationals trophy or something equally as lame anymore."

"Well, that's good, as weird as it may be," Nick responded with a laugh.

"And he's been good for Blaine too. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Kurt. He's one of my best friends in the world, but…" she paused, looking for the words to communicate her thoughts, "…but there's something about Blaine now that he's with Sebastian. He's…he's different. He's happier, like he's not a bogged down about stuff so much. He's…"

"Less uptight? More relaxed and fun?" Nick offered.

"Yeah!" Tina said, eyes bright as she thought about her friend.

"He just seems more like a high school senior and less like some boring old man who has a strange fascination with Katy Perry."

"And an affinity for grandpa clothing?" Nick once again added.

Tina laughed at Nick's comment, "Yeah, although he's been wearing jeans and t-shirts more often. Oh, the other day, he actually wore normal gym shoes to school."

Nick did his best to look scandalized, though his dramatic response wasn't very hard to put on since he was genuinely surprised: "You're telling me our little Blaine Anderson is actually wearing clothing popularized AFTER the 1960s? I'm shocked!"

The two continued to laugh for a few more minutes, poking fun at their friend who wasn't around to appreciate the high levels of wit being displayed. Nick liked Tina. He had heard Blaine talk about her. He told him how she was his best friend at McKinley along with some guy named Sam and how she and Sebastian had really helped him through his problems with Kurt.

"Well I guess I feel pretty safe letting you handle this," Nick said as he got up from the chair he had been occupying.

"Can I ask you a question, Nick?"

"Sure."

"How come you came? Did Sebastian send you?"

Nick studied the girl for a few seconds before slowly answering: "No. Sebastian doesn't even know that I'm here, actually. I came because Blaine's my friend. As much as I love Sebastian and I know that he knows he's hurting Blaine, I think he thinks he's doing him a favor by staying away. Also, Sebastian may be our age, but he's kind of an idiot. He doesn't know how to break up with people, and this is what he came up with."

Tina nodded slowly: "Ah."

"Yeah. I love the guy, but he's kind of a fuck up as far as relationships go. I royally chewed him out before I came over here, but I know him. He's probably somewhere in his house brooding about how much of an ass he is and how he always hurts Blaine."

"Well, he is," Tina added.

"Yeah," Nick conceded, "but not on purpose. The guy has no idea what he's doing. All the mistakes he's making aren't intentional, he's just relationally retarded, which really sucks because he's crazy about Blaine still."

"He is?"

"He won't admit it, but he does. I can tell. It's obviously killing the guy. He's been pissy all week. He isn't his normal self and Sebastian isn't the type of person to put himself in an uncomfortable situation for another person. I doubt he'd even put himself out for me. But Blaine…he's going through Hell right now for Blaine. If that doesn't say that he's still crazy about him, I don't know what does.

"He's not the only one going through Hell," Tina added.

"I know," Nick sighed, "I know he's putting Blaine through it too, but the point is that he wouldn't be doing this if he didn't care about Blaine, as backwards as that logic may be."

"So you're trying to fix his problems?"

"I'm trying to give Blaine some peace of mind. I'm sure he's freaking out and blaming himself. I just want him to have all the information before he writes Sebastian off."

"You're a good friend," Tina said after watching him carefully for a few minutes. The Warbler smiled and returned the compliment. The two exchanged numbers on the chance that they may need to reach each other again.

"Good luck with operation 'Homo Repair'!" Nick called with a smile as he walked out of the room.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian sat in his car outside of Miller's Bookstore, Blaine's favorite place. He knew that if the curly-haired boy wasn't at The Lima Bean, he could usually be found huddled in the back of the store on one of the plush arm chairs, reading a book. When they were first starting to hang out, Blaine took Sebastian to the bookstore and told him it was his favorite place to think. Kurt never really understood Blaine's fascination with the store. Blaine had told him how Kurt would complain about the dust or general unkempt look that the store possessed.

On Sebastian's first trip to the story, he immediately understood its appeal. He loved the way that books seemed to be stacked up to the ceiling. He liked how there was a brightness to the store, the way that the sunlight danced about the room, illuminating the shelves upon shelves of books. There was an old world feel to the store. It was like being transported back into time to a place where literature was more than a group of vampires falling in love. There was something soothing about being surrounded by so many books. One of Sebastian and Blaine's favorite games was to pick up a battered, old book and try to come up with stories of its life: who owned it, what it had been through, where it had been read, etc. Sebastian liked the store. He missed going there with Blaine.

He missed Blaine.

Sebastian had been sitting in his car for the past twenty minutes, trying to gather the courage to walk into the store. He could plainly see Blaine's car parked in the parking lot, so he knew the boy was inside. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he breathed out loudly.

He could do this. What was wrong with him? It wasn't as though Blaine would start screaming and throwing things. It was Blaine. He wasn't like that. So why the hesitation? He was being a fucking pussy. Sebastian quickly looked in his rearview mirror to check his hair (there was no point in going in, looking like some middle-class simpleton) before he placed his hand on his car door.

He sighed.

Before he opened his door, he saw something that made him freeze in his seat: Tina was getting out of a hideously old-looking piece of shit that she probably tried to pass off as a car. Sebastian immediately sank down into his seat, hoping to not be spotted.

He watched as Tina crossed the small parking lot and entered the old store. Sebastian just stayed in his position, chin flush against his chest and his back pressed tightly against the seat back. Well, clearly, going in was out of the question. He didn't feel like crossing Tina in the middle of everything.

He was perfectly happy with his balls and how they were still attached to him. He wasn't interested in her changing that.

— **Glee —**

"There he is," Tina said softly with a smile on her face.

Blaine looked up from his spot on the plush armchair and smiled back at his friend. He liked that Tina knew where he'd be. Not many people knew how much he loved Miller's, only those that were truly important to him: it was a secret that he didn't share with many.

"Hey yourself! To what do I owe the please? It's not every day I see you in a bookstore," Blaine grinned at the girl.

Tina frowned as she replied, "And exactly what are you implying here? I read books!"

"You read the _Twilight_ books," Blaine corrected.

"Does that not count or something?" Her hands found their way to her hips.

"Of course not. Why would sloppily written fan fiction passed off as literature ever count? I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?" Blaine asked with a sarcastic look of shock on his face. He knew how much Tina loved _Twilight_. He never passed up an opportunity to tease her.

"For the sake of our friendship, I'm going to pretend that you didn't just insult Edward like that," Tina said through narrowed eyes.

"Aww, Tina Ballerina…for the sake of _our_ friendship, I pretend that you don't even know what _Twilight_ is."

"It's better than some stupid book about a wizard with a moon scar…"

"It's a lightning bolt and it's not stupid!" Blaine said, putting his book down and frowning at his friend. His annoyance quickly disappeared when he saw the smile on Tina's face.

"You're so gay," she laughed.

"Harry Potter is not gay!" he defended indignantly.

"Doesn't feel so good, does it?"

Blaine chuckled as he shook his head and leaned back into the chair. Being friends with Tina was one of the best decisions he ever made. She was probably the best thing that had come out of his relationship with Kurt. He smiled and watched as Tina took the seat opposite him.

"So why are you looking for me Tina Cohen hyphen Chang hyphen Chang?"

Tina laughed, "I think that one's my favorite, despite it's length!"

"Tina! Don't talk about Michael like that! It's not his fault he's Asian," Blaine said, holding back a smile as he saw his friend's eyes grow large.

"Blaine Elizabeth Anderson! You did _not_ just make a penis joke about my boyfriend!" Tina's mouth was hanging open. Her obvious attempt to not smile or laugh was failing: "And you know he gives me no reason to complain in _that_ department…unlike another recently graduated senior that we both know…"

Blaine laughed even more at Tina's words. During one particular sleepover, the two had gotten onto the subject of size. Tina had gone on and on about how well endowed Mike was. Blaine had meekly admitted that Kurt may have been a little…underwhelming as far as sizes went. He had turned a deep shade of red when he uttered the phrase "but he's really sweet."

"How times have changed. You almost crapped your pants when I made you tell me how big Kurt was. Now you're sitting here joking about my boyfriend's penis, the same one you begged me to stop describing just a few months ago!" Tina added with a smirk.

Blaine shrugged, "People change."

"Speaking of, that's actually why I came looking for you."

She sighed as Blaine sent her a confused look. She prayed to Grilled Cheesus that this conversation didn't take a dark turn. She didn't exactly want her friend to break down or start yelling in the middle of a bookstore. It wasn't as though Blaine was a loose cannon, but he also was a little unpredictable where Sebastian was concerned.

"You friend Nick came by school today," she began.

"Nick? How come he didn't say hi? I didn't even see him."

"He was there after you left. I heard him talking to Mr. Schue, asking if you were there. He told me some stuff, Blaine. He told me some stuff about Sebastian that I think you need to know, that I think might explain why he's been Asshole of the Week."

She watched her friend carefully. His entire demeanor had changed. He was no longer lounging in the chair, but sitting upright rigidly. His face was very neutral, obviously in an attempt to hide what he was actually thinking. Tina grimaced slightly. Things weren't going too well. She took his silence as a sign to continue.

"He said that…that Sebastian has it in his head that he isn't good enough for you, that you deserve someone better than him. Apparently he's been a royal douche bag all week and that he's really upset over how things are with y—"

"If he's so upset, then why doesn't he just talk to me like a man and tell me what's going on with us?" Blaine snapped, his eyes dark with anger.

"Well…actually…Nick told me that Sebastian told him that you guys were…that you were…over…"

Blaine's face was unreadable. Tina was concerned that she had no idea what Blaine was thinking.

"Blaine, talk to me. What are you thinking?"

"I," he began, "I just…I mean…I figured that that's where we stood, but it's a little different to actually hear it said out loud." Blaine looked down at his hands as he began to play with the fabric of his shirt.

Tina hated how small and defeated his voice sounded: "But he said that Sebastian honestly thinks he's doing you a favor. He said he's still crazy about you and that it's obvious that he wants to be with you. He said he thinks that even though you're unhappy, that he's doing what's best for you."

Blaine looked up, angry and confused with a tear falling down his cheek: "How is this best for me? In what world is this making me happy? If he cares so much about me, then why is he doing this to me? How can someone say they care about you and then treat you like…like…"

"Shit?"

"Yeah…I just…didn't want to say it…"

Tina's heart broke at the break in her best friend's voice.

"I don't know Blaine, but Nick thinks someone said something to him, told him that he was bad for you, that he didn't deserve you. I don't know who could have said anything. Nick thought it was me or one of the other glee club members, but I told him that it couldn't be. I told him how I had said something to Sebastian at Sectionals, but how he chewed me out for even saying anything. He didn't think it was a Warbler, so we have no idea where he could have gotten the idea. It's not like Sebastian walks around, caring about what other pe—"

"Wait," Blaine interrupted. He wiped away the tears from his eye and leaned forward in his chair, grabbing one of Tina's hands.

"You're saying that someone said something to Sebastian, someone that he really listens to?"

"Yeah," Tina agreed, "but we have no idea who."

"I think I might have an idea."

— **Glee —**

Blaine waited patiently at the door. He did his best to snuggle into his coat and scarf. The early-December weather had finally decided to cool down. Blaine was bouncing on the heels of his feet, hoping that the door would open soon. He was soon saved when he saw a blurred figure approaching through the glass on the door.

"Mr. Blaine," Olga, Sebastian's maid, answered with a surprised smile.

"Good afternoon, Olga!" Blaine said as he warmly greeted the woman and gave her a hug. He had grown attached to her, always appreciating the wonderful meals that she would make when he spent time at Sebastian's house.

"Come in, Mr. Blaine. It's too cold. You might get sick."

Blaine smiled gratefully as he stepped into the house and allowed Olga to close the door behind him. He instantly felt warmer as he breathed in the heated air.

"It's wonderful to see you Mr. Blaine. You haven't visited for too long!" Olga said with a fond smile. It was always obvious to Blaine that she approved of his friendship with Sebastian. One time she accidentally let slip that he had been a "much nicer boy" since Blaine started showing up. Of course, she was instantly horrified that she'd ever say such a negative thing about her employer's son. She made Blaine promise not to ever repeat what she had said.

"I know, I've missed seeing you and eating some of your delicious dinners that you always make!"

Olga blushed, "You're always too kind, Mr. Blaine. Are you looking for Mr. Sebastian?"

Blaine nodded nervously, unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to see the boy or not. Suddenly showing up at Sebastian's house unannounced seemed like a stupid idea.

"I'm sorry Mr. Blaine, but he is not home. He has not come back from school yet. Would you like to wait for him?" she asked, her R's rolling off her tongue.

"Umm…no, no thank you Olga," Blaine replied. If Sebastian wasn't home yet, he probably wouldn't return until late. He'd just have to talk to him a different time. He nodded his thanks to the woman and promised that he'd return soon to visit her. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to make good on his promise, but he honestly hoped that he would.

As Blaine was about to leave, he stopped and turned back to the woman: "Olga, do you know if Mr. Smythe said anything to Sebastian recently about me?"

Olga looked surprised by the comment and then incredibly uncomfortable: "I…I do not know Mr. Blaine, but it would be inappropriate for me to speak about Mr. Smythe like that. He is my boss and I could never betray his trust like that. He trusts me not to repeat things I hear. I'm sorry Mr. Blaine."

"No, no don't be sorry Olga," Blaine assured the woman, "you're completely right. It was unfair of me to ask you that question."

Ola smiled in relief, happy that she had not offended the young man that she had grown attached to.

"One last question?" Blaine asked. The maid nodded her head slowly, as if she were dreading whatever the question may be: "Has Mr. Smythe been back home recently?"

Blaine watched as the woman turned the question over in her head. He had tried to think of a question that might give him the information he needed without putting Olga in a situation where she'd have to give away personal details about her employer. He figured sharing the last time Mr. Smythe was home wouldn't be an infringement on the man's privacy, and he hoped that she would feel the same way.

"Mr. Smythe came home the night that you had your big concert. I remember because Mr. Sebastian asked me to help him make his bouquet for you. He was very excited to give it to you, Mr. Blaine."

Blaine smiled, remembering that Sebastian had told him how Olga had been the one to put it together for him: "And I loved it Olga. It was beautiful. You did an amazing job on it."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Mr. Smythe came home shortly after Mr. Sebastian left to see you. He told me that I could leave early, that he…" Olga paused, hesitating before adding, "…that he wanted to speak with Mr. Sebastian alone."

There it was, the confirmation that Blaine needed. He nodded his head and promised Olga that he was done asking her questions and that he wouldn't tell anyone what she said. She blushed and thanked Blaine, telling him that she hoped he didn't think she was a terrible maid.

"Of course I don't think that, Olga. You're the best maid in the world! The Smythes are very luck to have you."

The compliment made the woman smile bashfully and lower her head. Blaine said goodbye again as he walked down the pathway, back to his car. He turned when he heard Olga call his name.

"Mr. Blaine! I know it is none of my business, but I think you should know that Mr. Sebastian has been very sad since you've been gone."

Blaine forced a smile on his face.

"I've been very sad too, Olga, but I think I can fix that. Thank you for your help today."

He returned the wave before walking the remaining distance and climbing into his car. So he knew, or at least mostly knew, that it was Mr. Smythe who had said something. It made sense. He was a horrible man who hated Sebastian. It wouldn't surprise Blaine if the man said those things to hurt Sebastian and that Sebastian took them to heart. He arrived right after Sebastian left for the concert, which meant that he was home when Sebastian returned. There was no one else in the world who could affect Sebastian the way his father could.

It all added up, but the question remained: what was he going to do?

— **Glee —**

Sebastian pushed the door to The Lima Bean open and walked through, not caring that it hit his guitar case as he crossed the threshold. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the music playing in the background of the shop. That wasn't a CD, that was live music. Why the hell was someone else playing music in the café where _he_ always played?

He walked up to the girl at the counter, making the group of middle-school girls that she was helping jump out of his way.

"How come someone is playing? Did you guys get someone else to sing here too?" he asked through a clenched jaw.

"What? Oh, I thought that was you. I don't know, you'd have to ask Rhonda. She's the one that's in charge of that. I'm just trying to pay my tuition."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the useless answer. He stomped his way around the corner and froze when he saw the person sitting on his stool, behind his microphone: it was his Blaine.

He watched as Blaine finished the ending to whatever song he had been singing. There was no applause per usual, this was The Lima Bean after all. In that moment, Sebastian's hands moved before his mind and body allowed him to quietly slip out, and began applauding. He saw the other boy's head look up.

Blaine's eyes snapped over to the source of the sound and it looked as though his brain had stopped functioning for a split second. He saw Blaine's eyes take him in: his hair, his scarf, his jacket, his dark jeans and boots.

Blaine leaned into the microphone and began speaking, never taking his eyes away from Sebastian.

"I just have one more song for you today and then I'll hand this mic over to a much more talented singer than me. This last song is kind of important. It's for a really amazing guy that I know. Things have been rocky lately, I know, but I just want him to know what he's done for me and how much I care about him. So this is for you…uh, for you to all enjoy."

Sebastian stood glued to his spot on the floor. His guitar case had been set on the ground and was leaning against his leg. He stood still as people moved around him in the shop. He watched as Blaine began strumming the first few chords on his ukulele. If Sebastian wasn't so petrified, he would have smiled at how adorable Blaine looked with the small instrument.

_Took a deep breath in the mirror  
__He didn't like it when I wore t-shirts, but I do.  
__Turned the lock and put my headphones on  
__He always said he didn't get this song, but I do.  
__I do._

_Walked in expecting you'd be late  
__But you got here early and you stand and wave, I walk to you.  
__You pull my chair out and help me in  
__And you don't know how nice that is, but I do._

_And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
__I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did.  
__I've been spending the last eight months  
__Thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end,  
__But on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again._

_You said you never met one guy who  
__Had as many James Taylor records as you, but I do.  
__We tell stories and you don't know why  
__I'm coming off a little shy, but I do._

_But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
__I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did.  
__I've been spending the last eight months  
__Thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end,  
__But on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again._

_And we walked down the block,  
__To my car and I almost brought him up,  
__But you start to talk about the movies that you always watch  
__Every single Christmas and I wanna talk about that  
__And for the first time, what's past is past._

'_Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid  
__I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did.  
__I've been spending the last eight months  
__Thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end,  
__But on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again._

_But on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again._

Sebastian hadn't taken his eyes off of Blaine the entire song. He wasn't even entirely sure that he hadn't done it without blinking. It was as if he was brought back to the night of Blaine's Sectionals and it was only the two of them in the universe when he sang.

Sebastian had never had a song publically dedicated to him. He was torn. He wanted to run up and kiss Blaine, kiss his soft, sweet lips and never stop. He wanted to scream at the customers for allowing such a perfect performance to go unnoticed. He wanted to pull out his phone and tell his father to go fuck himself.

But he didn't.

He knew his father was right. He knew that it would only be selfish of him to let Blaine make a mistake like that. However much he wanted to hold Blaine in his arms, he knew that it wasn't fair. He knew that Blaine was a person much more deserving of any headache that he, Sebastian, could offer.

He took a deep breath and began walking up to the curly haired singer.

"You sounded great," Sebastian mumbled.

"Did you listen to the words?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian simply nodded his head, unable to actually force out a "yes" from his mouth.

"So what did you think?"

Sebastian closed his eyes. He knew what he wanted to say, but he also knew what he had to say.

"I think…I think you're wasting your time with me, Blaine."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Blaine asked, frown on his face and eyes narrowed.

"I just mean—"

"I know what you're going to say Sebastian, and it's wrong. It sweet that you think you're protecting me or doing something incredibly selfless by letting me go or whatever it is that you're calling it in your head, but it's ridiculous. I don't need you to stand there and make any grand gestures for me. I'm a big boy and I can make my own decisions!"

Sebastian winced at the words, "But Blaine, I just—"

"No, I know. Nick came by McKinley and talked to Tina. He told her what you said. He told her that you think you're not good enough and that I can do better," Blaine's words were coming out in an angry hiss.

"Nick? I should have known that he'd t—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Sebastian!" Blaine reprimanded: "Nick is the only reason that I'm not throwing this stool at your head and screaming at you for being a Grade A jerk this past week. You should be thankful that you have such a good friend that would take the time out of his day to fix the mess you've made!"

"Blaine, I—"

"You what? You're sorry? You made a huge mistake? You shouldn't have been a jerk who thought that he could make my own decisions for me? You shouldn't have ignored my calls and texts all week? Which one Sebastian? Take your pick!"

Sebastian took a step backwards. There was something about the look in Blaine's eyes that made him incredibly nervous. He suddenly remembered about all the boxing workouts that Blaine told him about. He remained silent as he just stared at the smaller boy.

"What? Suddenly you're all quiet?"

"Well, I—"

"You were really mean Sebastian. You really hurt me," his voice had calmed down. Gone was the anger, all that was left was hurt and sadness.

"I didn't m—"

"You knew, Sebastian. You knew that this is exactly what happened with Kurt. You knew that he did this to me. You knew that he ignored me and made me feel horrible…made me feel like nothing. You knew what that did to me. You knew!...so why? Why was it OK for you to do that to me? Why was it OK for me to have to feel like that all over again?"

Sebastian felt like a knife had just been jabbed into his side.

"I trusted you."

The knife was just twisted.

Sebastian took a step forward: "Blaine, I'm so sorry for that. I never meant to hurt you. I just…I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought it was for the best."

"I know this is all new to you Sebastian, but don't you think it was my call to make? Isn't that what you told Tina at Sectionals?"

Sebastian hung his head. Blaine was right.

"And I know what your dad said…"

Sebastian's head snapped up as he stared into Blaine's hazel eyes. His heart began beating quickly. How could he know?

"He told you that you weren't good enough for me, didn't he? He said that I was too good for you and that you didn't deserve me."

Blaine watched Sebastian carefully, hoping that his assumptions were right. He was confused when he saw a small smile appear on Sebastian's lips, but the smile wasn't really a smile. It was a sad smile. That wasn't Sebastian's honest smile or even the smirk he used.

"No," Sebastian said after looking around, thankful that the tables closest to them were empty, "that's not what he said."

"Oh," Blaine breathed, "then what did he say?"

Sebastian looked at Blaine. He didn't want to tell him, but maybe it was what Blaine needed to hear. Maybe he needed to hear the truth about how horrible he was to believe that they were a bad idea. He felt the thin layer of sweat on his palms forming. His jaw trembled slightly as he swallowed.

"He said that I was a waste of life. He said that I'm a horrible failure of a human being and that no one would or could ever really care about me. He said that I was a fuck up and it was only a matter of time before I ruined your life just like I ruined his."

Blaine was shocked by the admission. What type of father would ever say such horrible things to his son? What type of human being would ever say that about another person?

"Sebastian," Blaine said, taking the other boy's hand, "that's not true. All of that…those are lies. You're not that horrible person that h—"

"I killed him."

The words were out of Sebastian's mouth before he could even realize what was happening.

Blaine froze. Did Sebastian just say that he had killed his father? No, that couldn't be right…

"What…Sebastian…what do you mean by that?"

Sebastian saw the horrified look on Blaine's face and realized what his words had sounded like: "No! No, I don't mean—I didn't mean my father, I meant…I meant…Will."

The name came out in the smallest voice that Blaine had ever heard Sebastian use. He looked at the Warbler and saw that he was on the verge of being completely embarrassed by the crowd of coffee drinkers. Blaine thought quickly and pulled Sebastian into the bathroom before locking the door behind them.

"Who's Will?" Blaine asked gently.

"He's…he was my brother," Sebastian answered after a few moments.

He went on to tell Blaine, to explain everything to him. He told him how they had grown up together and how he had worshiped his older brother. He told him how much it hurt when he went to join the Marines. He told him about how much his father loved Will and always favored him. He told him how much he hated his father for making him feel jealous. He told him how they got into their argument and how he had screamed that he wished his brother were dead and how his father had thrown the letter from the Marines at him. He told him how horrible he felt when he realized his brother was dead, how he felt like it was his fault. He told him how angry and abusive his father had been towards him from that day forward.

"So it's true," he finished, "I'm that horrible person that my father said I am. I know you don't want to believe it Blaine, but…but I'm not someone you want to be with. I'm someone that you want to run away from. I'll only fuck things up for you."

He stood there, tears falling from his eyes, not heaving, not sobbing, just standing there, desperately looking at Blaine, pleading with him to run.

"Don't you get it, Blaine? I'm not the good guy."

Blaine took a step forward and grabbed both of Sebastian's hands: "Is that it? Your worst secret? The most horrible thing you've ever done?"

Sebastian nodded his head, though unsure of where the question was leading.

"Then believe me when I say that this isn't scaring me off."

Sebastian almost choked from the nothing in his throat.

"If that's the worst secret you have Sebastian, then I still don't care. I've seen you at your worst. You blinded me for crying out loud," he laughed softy, "and that doesn't change a thing. You had nothing to do with what happened to your brother. That was not your fault. It happened long before you even said those words, OK? It was a horrible thing to say, yes, I'll admit it, but that doesn't make you a killer, Sebastian. That makes you a normal little kid who throws tantrums and says things just to make his parents angry."

Sebastian held his breath, scared that he was getting his hopes up for nothing: "So…so you mean that even after knowing that about me and after what I did to you this week, that you still…that you…"

"That I still choose you?"

Sebastian nodded his head.

"Yes Sebastian. Yes, I still choose you."

The two leaned in slowly and brought their lips together. Despite the kiss tasting salty from Sebastian's tears, it felt good and warm, like the comfort from a fire in the middle of a cold winter night.

They stayed in each other's arms for who knew how long. Blaine rested his cheek against Sebastian's shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to take in the sensation. He missed feeling the taller boy enveloping him. He missed the way he could perfectly tuck his head into the crook of Sebastian's neck.

"So we're good?" Sebastian asked, his voice hoarse from his emotions.

"Yeah," Blaine answered, "we're good. We still have to talk and work some things out, but we're good."

Sebastian chewed his lip, "I'm sorry I ignored you, Blaine. I was a huge ass."

"You were," Blaine sighed, "but you need to promise me Sebastian, you need to promise that you'll never do that to me again."

"I…I can't promise that everything will be perfect Blaine or that I won't royally fuck things up again, but I…I can promise that I'll always do my best to talk to you and…and not make you feel like this again."

Blaine smiled and quietly thanked him.

"I know I'm doing a horrible job, but I just want you to know that I—"

"I know," Blaine said, looking up at the taller boy, "I know Sebastian. You don't have to say it."

"You really are too good for me, you know that, right?" Sebastian asked as he held the smaller boy tighter.

"No comment."

Sebastian coughed from his laughter, his first laugh in days, and all it took was two words from the boy in his arms.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: THE END! LOL just kidding! That's not the end! I'm going to make this short since it's late and I'm exhausted. So first, hi, thanks for taking the time to read. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**I'm not even going to write the list of reviewers and followers that I've had since my last update, but just a huge thank you to all of you for taking a few minutes out of your day and clicking the "Favorite/Follow" option or writing a review. I live for those things and those notification emails really make my day!**

**So the boys are back together. How did you like this resolution? Hopefully it made sense. I was proofing as I was writing, but kind of stopped about half-way through the chapter, so hopefully the second half was coherent enough for you to understand everything. Let me know what you thought and if it turned out the way you thought it might.**

**Next chapter will be sort of a cutesy little thing. I think after everything, that they need a chapter to just enjoy each other. I honestly have no clue what that will include, so please shoot out little ideas for them. Your suggestions mean less work for my brain, which means I can writer easier and get these chapters out to you.**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing (…yes? Because…I mean…that might make you super cool and popular and stuff…so…) and I will hopefully be writing another author's note soon.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: It's about to get CUTE.**

**P.S. The song is Taylor Swift's "Begin Again" with a few lyrical alterations to make it fit. Also, last chapter's trivia answer:**

**Grace: **So...what are you up to? Doin' a little shopping? Shopping for Will? What are you gettin' him?  
**Vince: **I'm not telling you. You'll just poo-poo it. Pardon my French.  
**Grace:** You have to tell me, 'cause I have to tell you whether or not it blows.  
**Vince:** Grace, I think I know my what my boyfriend likes. We've been going out for six months.  
**Grace: **I've known him for, like, 20 years. We've had phone calls that lasted six months.  
**Vince: **Well, I'm in a commited relationship with him.  
**Grace: **So am I.  
**Vince: **I shave his ears.  
**Grace: **I shave his legs.  
**Vince: **I've seen the man naked, Grace.  
**Grace: **I've seen him naked and crying.  
**Vince: **Ya know what? I've slept with him.  
**Grace: **OK, look, if I didn't turn him gay, we wouldn't be having this conversation. So I win.

**-Will & Grace**


	20. Boardroom Transactions

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The original title to this chapter was "Enter, Cooper Anderson" but then I kept writing and he became less important. The ending sort of just happened, but I think you'll like it…hopefully. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: No llamas or street magicians were harmed in the writing of this chapter. And again, I apologize if anything that Sebastian (or Cooper, in this chapter) say anything that offends you. They do not share my beliefs. They are kind of douchey…so yeah.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty: Boardroom Transactions**

"It's unlocked!" Blaine called after hearing his doorbell ring. He was panicking slightly.

It was Friday, the night that Sebastian was coming over for dinner. They had spoken at The Lima Bean a few days prior and had worked things out for the most part. They continued to text for the next few days until the weekend came, slowly getting back to the way things used to be. It was more awkward than Blaine had anticipated, being able to just send a random text message whenever the thought struck him wasn't as easy as it used to be. It had never crossed his mind, but ever since their reconciliation, Blaine began to worry that he was annoying Sebastian or catching him at inopportune moments. Any communication between the two was better than how things had been a few days ago when there was no communication at all, but it still saddened Blaine to think that the person he used to be so close to no longer held that same comfort.

Blaine scanned the kitchen to do a quick check on how things were going. He had the salad already chopped and ready to go. The bread was sitting in the warming tray just waiting to be pulled out. The dessert was ready and sitting on the counter, having been picked up from the bakery after he got out of Glee practice. The vegetables needed to be cooked, but that would only take him a few minutes and could wait until the lasagna was close to being done. It might have been overdoing it, but Blaine felt that the dinner needed to be perfect. _He_ needed to be perfect.

Many people might think that Sebastian Smythe's favorite meal was some complicated, pretentious dish that couldn't even be pronounced without some ability to speak a foreign language. Blaine was surprised when Sebastian admitted that his favorite food was lasagna. Something about that fact made Sebastian all the more endearing. It seemed to Blaine that the more he learned about the tall Warbler, the more un-Sebastian he became. Apparently Olga had the best recipe in the world and had made a believer out of the silver-spoon-raised, trust-fund baby. When Blaine invited Sebastian for dinner, he knew he needed to make it. He wasn't able to get the exact recipe that Sebastian loved, but Blaine knew that Sebastian would appreciate the gesture (even though he'd most likely never admit it in public).

"Hey there, Killer."

Blaine smiled nervously as he turned around. This was an important night. It was the official reconciliation. It had to be perfect.

"Hey there yours—yourself, you and your big bag that you're carrying there. What is that?" Blaine asked with a confused smile as he took a step forward to peer around the kitchen island to get a better look.

"This," Sebastian said as he placed the bag on top of the counter, "is my contribution to tonight's dinner. My mother always said it was rude to show up to a dinner party without bringing something…though she also told my father 'till death do us part,' and we all know how truthful that ended being, so who knows if she was telling the truth about the 'dish' thing."

Sebastian smiled at his own joke as he looked at Blaine. The younger boy smiled and shook his head. There was a time where Blaine would have defended Sebastian's family from his ridicule, but that had ended the day Sebastian had shared the true extent to his father's actions. He knew that Sebastian's verbal jabs were his way of dealing with his family's skeletons.

"You're possibly the only person who could be cute while insulting his own mother," Blaine said as he pulled the sides of the bag down to see its contents.

"Possibly? Why possibly? Why not definitely?"

"Well," Blaine said distractedly as he tried to figure out what Sebastian had brought, "I always leave room for Channing Tatum, because you never know."

"Channing Tatum?"

"Of course," Blaine responded with a straight face, "not to be superficial, but I mean…look at him…I'd—I'd say more, but I'm too busy enjoying scenes from Magic Mike in my head."

"I never took you to be the type to objectify men," Sebastian muttered.

"What? Are you trying to tell me that you, Sebastian Smythe, take offense to the idea of a man being objectified in a sexualized manner? Especially when said man has a chest and six-pack the way he does?" came Blaine's patronizing question.

Sebastian frowned as he placed his hand over his stomach and pushed against his muscles, reassuring himself that he wasn't completely lacking in the abdominal department. It wasn't a common occurrence for him to feel inadequate: "It's people like you who perpetuate negative self-images and eating disorders in our country."

Blaine rolled his eyes, "Well then please, why don't you sit down at your laptop and write me up a touching television episode where a good-looking, thin girl who has no business having an eating disorder passes out in the middle of a big event because she has been starving herself. And I say episode, not episodes, because the entire storyline is rushed and unrealistic."

"That was oddly specific," Sebastian said with a raised eyebrow.

"I just saw an annoying episode on TV yesterday."

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the island.

"Sebastian, what is this? What did you bring?" Blaine asked, looking up from the bag.

"Oh, it's Olga's special lasagna," Sebastian said with a smile, "she made it for us today. I told her I was coming over and that you were cooking. I think the thought of a teenaged boy cooking dinner was blasphemous to her. She insisted on making it before I cam over."

"Uh huh…"

"Ok, you twisted my arm," Sebastian said, practically bouncing on his stool, "I asked her to. I had this really weird craving for it today at school and I texted her to have it ready for when I came over. I figured she could still be present tonight even though she's not actually here. I know how much you like fraternizing with the help."

Sebastian smiled as he looked at the bag, eagerly anticipating the meal that would soon come. He looked up at Blaine and was confused when he saw the other boy frowning.

Why was he frowning?

"Why are you frowning?"

Blaine simply stared at Sebastian for a few moments before opening his mouth and carefully speaking: "Sebastian, you knew I was cooking tonight. Why did you bring this?"

"I told you, I w—"

"No, no there's being a polite guest and bringing a cake or a bottle of wine…and then there's bringing the main course."

Sebastian sat still in his chair. He didn't quite understand what was happening or why Blaine was upset, but he could tell by the look on the other boy's face and by the tone in his voice that there was about to either be shouting or waterworks. Sebastian silently prayed for the shouting, he hated when people cried. He never knew what to do.

"I…" he paused and looked around the room as though the answer to his problem might jump out from behind the sofa, "…I don't really know what I'm supposed to say right now."

Blaine sighed, "Sebastian, you brought lasagna."

Sebastian nodded his head slowly. He didn't see the problem in that, but he would never say that. He had learned through numerous past incidents that telling Blaine about his cluelessness only served to further infuriate the shorter boy. He didn't even want to think about the time they tried to get ice cream. It would forever be referred to as "that time at Coldstone that will never be mentioned again."

"I'm…s—sorry?" Sebastian said, cringing and hoping that his apology would rectify the situation.

Blaine sighed. His head dropped and he spread his hands out on the counter as he used it to hold himself up. Sebastian's pulse quickened. Wrong thing. That was definitely the wrong thing to say.

"I'm…not…sorry?" Sebastian tried.

"Sebastian," the name coming out more like a chore than an address, "do you know what I made you for dinner?"

"Of cour—No…no, I don't," Sebastian said, catching his sarcastic reply before he finished it. Maybe Blaine would take pity on him if he tried to look innocent and pitiful.

Blaine simply glared at his attempt, clearly not buying it.

"I made you lasagna, Sebastian."

"Oooh," came Sebastian's stretched out sound, hopefully sounding as if he understood the implications of Blaine's statement.

"So then you see what I'm saying?" Blaine asked.

"Yes." No, he didn't.

"And you see why I'm frustrated."

"I do." He didn't. He had no clue.

"And you understand?"

"Completely." He couldn't even begin to tell you what they were talking about. It was as if Blaine had suddenly learned Portuguese and had decided to test it out for the night.

When he saw Blaine smile, Sebastian let out a breath of relief that he didn't even know he was holding in. He returned the smile, unable to contain his joy. There was something about a Blaine Anderson smile that was just inexplicably contagious.

"I'm so happy," Blaine said as he leaned over the counter and beamed at Sebastian.

"Ditto," Sebastian replied with his own set of pearly whites.

"Can you just do me one small favor, Sebastian?" Blaine asked in a shy, coy voice with the most perfect smile on his lips.

Sebastian smiled, "Of course, name it."

Suddenly Blaine's smile disappeared, and his voice lost all its warmth: "Tell me exactly what I meant when I said that, why it upset me, and what I need you to do from here on out."

If he had been a cartoon character, Sebastian's jaw would have dropped to the floor. If he were a 30-something female character in a television show, he would have had some long voiceover about how shocked he was and how diabolical Blaine had just been. If he were a fictional teen on a musical show, he might break into a song about how surprised and confused he was, something dramatic and over the top. But this wasn't some TV show, it was real life and he was really fucked.

"I…I…well…you…"

"I knew it!" Blaine shouted as he crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry! OK, I have no idea what the hell I did. I wanted lasagna. I brought lasagna. I didn't do that to piss you off. I didn't give you any extra work. I didn't make fun of anyone or hurt anyone. I didn't steal it and I didn't make anyone cry. It's my favorite and I know you like it too. I'm sorry. I have no idea why, but I know that you're giving me that look when I do something stupid and I'm too stupid to even know what I did and I—"

"Sebastian…"

"—don't really understand why you're pissed off or looking at me like I voted for Romney or something, but I just need to say—"

"Sebastian…"

"—that I think it's a little unfair for you to get so pissed off over me bringing lasagna. I mean it's not like I brought over little dead-baby patties or ground up puppies or anything. It's lasagna. Lasagna! I don't get—"

"Sebastian!" Blaine shouted, finally succeeding in stopping Sebastian's ramblings. He looked at Sebastian, almost enjoying the "deer in the headlights" look on the boy's face. He took a mental picture and saved it for a future time when he would need a good laugh.

"Look, I'm just upset because you brought lasagna and I made lasagna for you. It made me feel like you didn't think I could cook you a decent meal." Blaine's voice came out calm and quiet. He knew that raising his voice like he actually wanted to would only serve to aggravate the situation.

As he listened to his words, he realized how juvenile he was being. Angry that Sebastian brought food? It was silly. It should have been a non-issue, but for some reason the fact really hit him in the gut. Why was that? Sebastian didn't know better. He was obviously used to having what he wanted when he wanted it. Yes, it was another point where he had to have patience for the boy, but it also hurt him. He had gone to so much trouble. He had searched the internet for a perfect recipe. He had spent baked numerous trial lasagnas, hoping to make one that might compare to Sebastian's favorite. He had spent a long time preparing and cooking the meal. He had put so much thought into it, and Sebastian just showed up with his own meal that he brought. It was infuriating…but was it really worth it? Was it worth the headache and aggravation? Sebastian didn't mean anything by it. He was the harmless puppy that peed on the carpet because it didn't know any better, it hadn't been house trained yet. That's not to say that Blaine viewed Sebastian as a puppy needing to be trained, but simply a person that was in an environment that he did not yet know how to function. He was learning, testing out his wings. There were bound to be mishaps, and Blaine had already experienced his fair share of them with the Warbler. But even with all the headaches and the necessary calming breaths, Blaine still fully believed that it was a headache worth having.

"Of course not. You've made me breakfast before and it was good!" Sebastian practically tripped over himself, trying to assure Blaine that his doubts were unfounded.

"I think the thing you don't get Sebastian is that I don't have a cook like you. When I want food, I need to make it. You've never had to do that. You don't know what goes into it. Those dinners that Olga makes you, do you know how long it takes her?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, fifteen minutes probably?"

"Try more like two hours, probably."

Sebastian nodded his head again, but the only difference was that he actually understood why Blaine was upset. He had probably worked on the food for a long time, and then Sebastian showed up with a lasagna, effectively dismissing his efforts.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you worked so hard."

Sebastian said slowly, ashamed of his behavior. He looked like a sad child who had just realized his mistake. He was entering his place of self-pity when his head popped up.

"Here, I'll throw it out. I'm not even going to eat it!" Sebastian declared as he grabbed the bag and moved towards the trash can.

"Wait! Sebastian, you can't just throw that out!" Blaine yelled, stopping the other boy.

"Oh, you're right. That's wasting food, right? Maybe we could give it to someone," he said as he placed the bag back onto the counter: "You probably have some poor people here, right? Do you think they'd want the lasagna?"

Blaine simply stared at Sebastian for the briefest moment before bursting out in laughter. Sebastian frowned, once again not knowing what was going on. He tried to ask Blaine what was so funny, but the only answers he got were unintelligible grunts or sounds that were definitely not words. Sebastian was slightly annoyed that he was being laughed at, but when given the choice between a laughing Blaine and an angry Blaine, he was happy with the former.

The two boys quietly made up, Blaine pressing himself into Sebastian's body and sighing in contentment as he felt the taller boy squeeze him ever so slightly. He breathed in the, no doubt, expensive cologne that Sebastian was wearing and simply enjoyed the moment, not caring about the lasagna hiccup. They stood in the middle of the kitchen, holding each other as if their romantic comedy had just ended. Their mumbled apologies and assurances that all was well could be heard in the room. Both boys smiled at the other, ducking their heads when their eyes met, shy about letting the other know just how happy they were. One boy was glad that he was forgiven for a foolish mistake while the other was happy that he had someone who literally sprang into action to right a wrong for them.

As Sebastian sat and watched Blaine move about the kitchen, he was oddly turned-on by seeing Blaine in such a domesticated role. He fidgeted in his seat, rearranging his pants: it wouldn't do well for Blaine to walk over and see just how much Sebastian was enjoying the show. Who knew that Sebastian had a thing for domesticated men? Sure, he enjoyed a good meal, but it was never anything he filed away for his spank bank. His fingers nervously tapped on the counter top as Blaine opened the oven slightly to check on the food. He noticed the way Blaine's thick eyebrows scrunched together as he inspected the food, trying to decide if it was…well, he didn't really know what Blaine was looking for? Maybe it was supposed to turn a certain color? He would have asked, but he figured he'd been made Blaine laugh enough as it was. He also noticed the way Blaine's jeans perfectly hugged his ass, the way the material stretched almost impossibly over a part of Blaine that Sebastian so desperately wanted to feel. A soft moan escaped Sebastian's lips before it was quickly covered up with a succession of coughs.

Both boys were so wrapped up in their thoughts that they were both startled when Blaine's iPad started ringing. They both jumped at the sound and shouted at the same time.

"Oh gosh!"

"What the fuck!"

Sebastian picked up the device that was sitting next to him and held it up: "Uhh…someone named Cooper is Skyping you."

"Oh shoot! I forgot that he was calling tonight. I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'll just tell him that I'll call him tomorrow. Can you just answer it while I wash my hands?"

"Your brother, Cooper, right? You can take the call, I don't mind," Sebastian answered while hopping off his stool, "I'll just…uh…"

He looked around at the pots and bowls and knives surrounding him. He tried to look for a job that he could do. Damnit, why did poor people have to make things so hard?

"I can…"

His sentence once again drifted off into nothing as he realized he had no clue what anything did in that kitchen. He looked up at a smirking Blaine and realized that he once again looked stupid.

"I'll just…yeah…" his words trailed off as he walked out of the room.

Blaine laughed to himself and looked down at his brother's face that was currently filling the tablet's screen: "Hey Coop!"

"Hey there little brother. Who was the guy in the background? Good looking."

"Oh, that was…a friend," he said, unsure of what else to say about the Warbler.

"No Blaine…please…too many details…can't…take…them…all…" came Cooper's overly dramatic, sarcastic response. The image on the screen shook as Cooper's arms flailed about.

"And to think," Blaine shot back, "you're not getting jobs with those superb acting skills."

Cooper smiled, "Well actually, funny you should mention it, I got called back for a second audition tomorrow!"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Cooper answered, "it's for this cable show. Your dear old brother might be a television star!"

Blaine smiled, genuinely happy for his brother. He knew that things had been tough ever since he moved to LA. The acting jobs hadn't come as quickly as Cooper may have liked, or their parents for that matter (if he had to hear another rant from their father about how Cooper was wasting his time and their money in LA, he might smash his head through a wall), but he was happy to hear that his brother had a possible role in the works.

"That's great Coop! What's the show?" Blaine asked, happy that the conversation had turned away from the topic of Sebastian.

"It's about this con man who works with the FBI. They solve cases and stuff. I think I might actually get this one. The casting director loved me when I went in to read for the role. He said that I was exactly what he pictured when he read the script," Cooper's was beaming with excitement.

"Way to work the Anderson charm," Blaine teased.

"Speaking of," Cooper said, "who is this CW looking 'friend' of yours?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I don't know, he just has that look like he belongs on one of those shows, or something. Maybe it's the hair?" Cooper said with a thoughtful expression.

Blaine laughed softly, "Kurt said the same thing when he first met him, though you put it a lot nicer than he did."

"Does Kurt know you're entertaining a gentleman guest in your home while our parents are off somewhere in Europea?"

"You do know that no matter how many times you say that, it'll never be a real place, right?"

"Eh," Cooper shrugged, "saves me from having to hear Mom drone on and on about some random European country where they're having a 'business trip'. Europea just covers the whole continent. Plus, it has such a nice ring to it. I still say they should change the name."

"Apparently you reject the correct term 'Europe' that most people already use all over the world," Blaine shook his head. Despite the fact that Cooper was several years older than him, Blaine always felt like _he_ was the older child while Cooper was the younger.

"Back to the question: did you tell Kurt you're shacking up with The CW tonight? That's not really like you, Little Brother."

Blaine sighed, he hadn't told his brother about his break up with Kurt: "Well, I would, but it might be pouring salt in the wound since I broke up with Kurt awhile ago."

Cooper of course overreacted and demanded that Blaine explain what happened, but before Blaine could even begin to tell the story, Cooper was launching into a tirade about how Kurt better not have hurt him in any way.

"Whoa! Whoa! Before you threaten to shove a gerbil up my ex's…up his…butt—"

"—I love that you don't swear. It makes your sentences so much more amusing—" Cooper interrupted.

"As I was saying, you don't have to worry. It was a mutual thing. We just realized that the distance was too much and that it wasn't fair for either of us to not have our boyfriend in the same city as us. We're still friends, don't worry Coop. We both decided this. No one cheated with some random person or anything. We realized that it just wasn't going to work."

Blaine didn't like lying to his brother, but for the most part what he had said was true. There wasn't any harm in a white lie. He didn't need Cooper yelling and being angry, because the truth of the matter was that Blaine wanted to leave those feelings in the past. Sure, he was still hurt by how his relationship had ended, but it didn't do him any good to linger on those feelings. He still loved Kurt very much, but it was a process to move on with life. He was still learning how to live with those feelings. He had faith that the peace would eventually come, but that it would most likely take some time.

He turned his head to look at Sebastian, lying down on the couch and flipping through the television channels. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about what he had found in the taller boy.

"You day dreaming about your 'friend'?" Cooper asked.

Blaine's head whipped back to stare at his screen: "What do you mean?"

"Well," Cooper explained, "you look away from the camera and then you get this goofy smile on your face. I know that smile. I invented that smile. You're thinking about dirty things—"

"Cooper!" Blaine hissed, looking up to make sure that Sebastian hadn't heard his brother.

"Relax, Spaz," Cooper laughed, "I meant your version of dirty things, like hugging or holdings hands while buying bow ties."

"Excuse me, but not all of us feel the need to share our bodies so freely with people," Blaine frowned. He wanted to correct Cooper's assumption that he, Blaine, was a blushing virgin, but that would require him to actually tell his brother about his sex life, or at least the one he used to have.

"But the fact that you didn't correct me means that I'm right. So what's going on with you two? Have you shown him your _suspenders collection_?" Cooper asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Blaine rolled his eyes at his brother's crude insinuation. Leave it to Cooper Anderson to pervert something as innocent as suspenders: "Yes, actually, we were in the middle of a very intense round of sexual intercourse when you called. We were busy performing fellatio in preparation of our consummation in the form of coitus. After that, we were—"

"Aw, come on! Don't ruin sex with all your big words. I hate it when you do that," Cooper yelled as tilted his head and glared at his brother for ruining his fun.

"And how do you think I like it when you make those remarks to me?" Blaine challenged.

"Fine," Cooper surrendered, "I won't innocently tease you if you promise not to talk like that again. God knows all I'll be able to think about next time I have someone over is how we're doing 'fillajello' or whatever you called it."

Blaine laughed as the conversation turned back to Cooper's possible role on the TV show. The two brothers spoke for a few more minutes before making a plan to talk again in a few days. He wished he could speak to Cooper longer, but had to make his excuses and get back to the boy who was lying on his couch and waiting for him. He smiled and waved as he wished his big brother a good night. He put the tablet down, realizing how grateful he was for their mended relationship. A year ago, that conversation never would have taken place. It wasn't until Cooper came back to Lima the previous year that they were able to address their issues and find some common ground to build a new relationship, a common link.

He sighed and laughed lightly to himself as he walked over to the couch. He was going to let himself fall on his guest and effectively initiate some light cuddling when he suddenly questioned himself. Was that something Sebastian wanted? Would he find it annoying? Were they at that place where they could just share such close proximity without a second thought? His doubts prevented him from taking any further action; instead, he cleared his throat and nervously looked down at the brunette.

"I never took you for a _Chuck_ fan," Blaine said after noticing the show that Sebastian was watching.

"Is that what this is? I just saw some hot guy with a gun. My interest was peaked," Sebastian replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Really? You think he's hot? I wouldn't peg him for your type," Blaine said, leaning onto the back of the couch.

"No not him. He's a little too nerdy for me. I mean, don't get me wrong," Sebastian said while turning his head and smiling at Blaine, "I like a little bit of nerdy, but he doesn't pull it off quite as well as you."

Blaine smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment.

"No, there was another guy in the beginning that was on. He's the hot one," Sebastian explained.

"Oh, that must have been Bryce. You're watching the pilot," Blain said while watching the screen. They two stayed in their position for a few more minutes, fully aware that there were miles of awkwardness between them.

"Hey, so you hungry? Dinner should be ready in a few minutes," Blaine said after glancing down at his watch to check the time, remembering that the lasagna would be ready in a few minutes.

The two boys made their way over to the kitchen and finished preparing their meal. Blaine found simple jobs for Sebastian to do. He had fun watching the other boy carefully doing every task, obviously afraid of doing something wrong and being teased. He stopped for a moment and just realized that Sebastian Smythe was, at that moment, in his kitchen and working hard to carry out everyday tasks. If you had asked Blaine a few months ago if he ever though Sebastian would set a table, he probably would have laughed at the idea, yet there he was, putting the utensils down and carefully folding the napkins.

What had changed? What had turned the prince of entitled rich-kids into someone willing to do set a table? The Sebastian Smythe that stood in his dining room was very different than the Sebastian Smythe that had slushied him in the eye. Gone were the days of scheming and elitist thoughts. Now, Sebastian was caring and…well, he was still elitist and condescending, but it wasn't as malicious as it was.

"So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room or just pretend that everything's OK?" Sebastian asked after a few minutes of light conversation. It was very clear that neither boy wanted to broach the subject, but that didn't change the fact that it needed to be discussed.

"We have things we need to talk about, yes," Blaine sighed as he pushed his food around his plate.

"So how do we do this? I'm not exactly familiar with the whole 'Let's talk about our feelings' sort of thing. We don't need to hold hands or anything, do we?"

"No," Blaine laughed, "we just need to be honest, tell the other what's going through our heads. I mean, I guess…I guess I can start. I like you Sebastian. I really do. I like spending time with you and I like how you make me feel. I like the person that I've gotten to know. You really surprised me by being completely different than when I first met you."

"I feel like there's a 'but' coming up here…"

"But I'm also a little scared. You've never done this before. Up until a little bit ago, you were all about the one-night stands and random hook ups. It's not that I think that that's how you see this…me, but…I'm just a little scared you're going to get bored or realize that you'd rather have the better looking guys at Scandals or something…"

"Blaine," Sebastian said, grabbing his hand, "I…well, I mean I can't say that I won't. I know I'm a huge ass and a douche bag, but I don't want to be a liar. I can't promise you that I'm going to be here forever or something because…well, that's just kind of creepy at this point, but I know that this is something I want. I've never done the relationship thing before because I've never met someone that made my one-night stands and hook ups seem stupid. But with you…I don't know, I…I like you. I want to try being in a relationship…I think…"

"Don't sound so sure of yourself there," Blaine said, trying to tease Sebastian and cover up his hurt at Sebastian's uncertainty.

"No, it's not that…it's just…" his voice trailed off, trying to think of what he actually wanted to say, "…it's just that…look, this is weird, Blaine. I like you. You like me. I know that sounds like a Barney song, but I just…I don't know. Why isn't that enough? I mean, I know I'm probably going to fu…to mess things up again and that you might freak me out by doing normal dating things that I'm just not used to yet, but…I don't know…"

Blaine laughed slightly at Sebastian's rambling.

"Yeah, I feel like I started a million different thoughts and didn't finish any of them," he said, laughing at his own inability to properly articulate his thoughts.

"No, it's fine. I like getting set up and then having no resolution. It's great. It's very…you," Blaine teased.

"Look, do you want to be my boyfriend or whatever?" Sebastian asked, sighing in annoyance. He wasn't enjoying the conversation. It was making him think about his feelings and analyze what he was thinking…and it was just too much for him.

"What?" Blaine asked, frozen in his spot, never thinking that Sebastian would be the one to ask that question. He knew that they were headed towards exclusive dating, but he always assumed he'd have to be the one to ask.

"I like you and I don't exactly like the idea of anyone else being with you. I was pissy all week when we weren't talking and I didn't like that. So, yeah…"

Blaine again just remained still. It wasn't exactly the way he'd ideally like to be asked, but then again, if he was going to be dating Sebastian then he'd probably have to get used to things not working out the way they do in Katherine Heigl movies.

"Sorry," Sebastian said as if he were able to read Blaine's mind, "I know that's probably not the best way to ask you that question. You probably expected doves or…or like flowers or something…"

"Doves?" Blaine smiled.

"I don't know," Sebastian said through a scowl, "look, I just want to be your boyfriend. I want to do all that dumb dating stuff with you and I want to be able to punch guys in the face when they look at you the way they do when we're out. So…so just tell me you want to be my boyfriend and we can stop having this awkward conversation already."

Blaine smiled and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips. He looked down at his lap, a blush spreading across his cheeks. In his own twisted way, Sebastian was being extremely sweet: it was his own brand of caring that Blaine found endearing for some crazy reason.

"You won't get to sleep around anymore," Blaine said.

"I'm fine with that."

"You're going to have to promise that you'll knowingly do something that will hurt me or make things difficult for us…and you're going to have to make time for me, not a crazy amount, but I don't want to feel like I'm dating your text message inbox."

"I know," Sebastian replied with a straight face. The dating relationship was beginning to feel more like a boardroom transaction.

"But I'm going to want my own space too. I don't want to be one of those couples where they're always hanging all over each other and that everyone makes fun of behind their backs because they're so pathetically clingly," Sebastian added.

"I completely agree, but just a heads up, I can be a little…insecure sometimes. I apologize in advance if I get a little crazy," Blaine admitted.

"How crazy are we talking here?" Sebastian asked, smiling as he stood up and walked around the table.

"More in the 'I need to hear that I'm pretty every once in awhile' way than the 'I checked Google Maps and you should have been here five minutes earlier: are you cheating one me?' sort of way," Blaine answered, taking Sebastian's hand and allowing himself to be led to the couch.

"I think I can compliment you. It won't be so hard when I have an incredibly sexy boyfriend who cooks me dinner."

"Did you like it?" Blaine asked.

"Of course, it was delicious," Sebastian answered, smiling as the two cuddled on the couch, facing each other.

"Was it better than Olga's lasagna?"

"Blaine," Sebastian said slowly, "I don't really know for sure, but I don't think it's fair to ask your boyfriend questions that force him to lie to you."

Blain snorted in laughter: "Well I haven't accepted yet, so you're technically not my boyfriend yet. Any other bits of information I should know?"

"Apparently I'm the jealous type. I apologize in advance if I ever flip out on you and one of your friends. I've been known to overreact every once in awhile."

"You don't say? I find that hard to believe. You're so rational and levelheaded."

"Keep talking like that Anderson and I might rescind my offer," Sebastian teased.

"Nope, by law, after the offer has been extended, it must be honored. Sorry Mr. Smythe, but you're stuck with me now," Blaine said as he snaked his arm up Sebastian's chest and played with the hair on the back of his head.

"Does that mean you're saying 'yes'?"

Blaine smiled as he pulled Sebastian's face forward and pressed their lips together. He deepened the kiss almost immediately, drinking in every bit of Sebastian that he could. Their bodies were soon pressed impossibly close to one another as they enjoyed their first kiss as boyfriends. They continued for some time, never detaching their lips from one another until Blaine pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against Sebastian's.

"Do you really need me to clarify my answer?"

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here it is! It happened! I didn't even mean to make this happen this soon, but it just sort of came out while I was typing. I didn't think anyone would mind if they officially got together sooner than later, so I just went with it and kept writing. Thoughts?**

**Sorry I missed my update last weekend. I was completely not in the zone for writing. I wrote a little, but it was crap, so I ended up scrapping it. Most of this chapter was written in chunks over the course of this week since it's been a busy week, but hopefully it isn't choppy or anything.**

**Thank you so much to EVERYONE who reviewed and added me to their lists! You guys really made me feel great when I got those email notifications. Thank you to: OneDisgrace, ournoisyhearts, autumncalling, Weinrot, Beanni77, lilypond88, Arielle91, andrewd711, JenScott, lessthanthreeredvines, walkingonawire, linkrin, Kat-GLEEclubber, yourethestorm, Dream Facades, ShadyLady01, Aquaria245, theonewhodoesn'tquitefitin, RoseCriss, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, RHatch89, Guest (thank you for that review! I wish you had an account so I could respond in a PM!), anderpson, WhiteFlowersOnOurBacks, Yingtia, Forever Gleek2000, BelugaLoki, Des, TVTime. You all rock! And new followers/readers…I mean…hey, if you want to drop a review…I mean…that'd be ok. :)**

**Please take a minute or two if you have it and leave me a review and tell me what you think. I love hearing your reactions to things and your take on them. I live for feedback and someone of you have been very helpful in the process of writing this, so I do thank you for your continued support on that front. The question for this chapter: what would be a good idea for celebrating one of the boy's birthdays? Someone is going to discover that their boyfriend is turning 18 the next day (haven't decided who yet) and I was hoping you could help me come up with something? Thanks!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Birthday celebrations and then I think a turning point in the story…again, I think.**

**P.S. Ok, I need to tell someone about this. So I ended up switching gyms last week to a newer one that opened up close to me. You guys…I mean…I don't know how the heck I got in there because I think that being beautiful is a prerequisite for being a member there. When I tell you that the people working out there are models, I'm not exaggerating. I was lifting between these two guys this morning and…I was trying my darndest not to openly stare at their muscles. Heaven. Me. I mean, I used to work out like 4-5 times a week. I think it's going to have to turn that into a twice a day, every day sort of thing. **

**Ok! I'm done!**


	21. Happy Birthday To You Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Look Des! I updated! Here is part one of the Seblaine birthday extravaganza!**

**DISCLAIMER: Except for the characters, names, locations, back stories, certain situations, and essentially the entire universe…it's all mine.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Happy Birthday To You… Part I**

Sebastian groaned as he slowly opened his left eye and glared at the ringing phone. Who the hell calls someone on a Saturday morning? The weight hanging on his body registered in his mind and he turned his head to slightly see a sleeping Blaine passed out behind him, snoring. He was uncharacteristically grateful that if one of them was able to sleep through the incessant ringing, it was Blaine.

"What the fuck do you want?" Sebastian asked, his voice coming out in a hoarse grumble, not knowing and not caring who was on the other end.

"Well good morning to you, too! God, what'd I ever do to you?" Tina's voice came through the speaker.

"Nothing, until you decided it was a good idea to call me at that godforsaken hour."

"Well excuse me for trying to be considerate and give you an heads up on Blaine's party tonight. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have anything planned," Tina said. Her annoyance was becoming more and more pronounced.

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian groaned as he disentangled himself from Blaine and slowly stood up, still adjusting to the fact that he wasn't asleep. A yawn escaped his mouth as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"His birthday party!" Tina yelled.

"His what?" Sebastian yelled, eyes popping wide open. Blaine started murmuring behind him. Sebastian quietly cursed to himself as he left the room and climbed the stairs down to the living room.

"Are you telling me that you forgot Blaine's birthday? Seriously, Sebastian! You almost ruined things with your stunt last week. I don't think you need to follow it up by forgetting his birthday on top of everything! What's next? Are you gonna punch his grandma in the face and give his dad Chlamydia?"

"What the fuck? Get off my balls, Geisha Barbie! To forget his birthday, I would have needed to know what it was to begin with!" Sebastian bit back, frantically trying to think of a way to celebrate his boyfriend's birthday without letting on that it was a last minute plan. The fact that he was at his grumpiest in the morning did nothing to help the situation.

"You seriously didn't know today was his birthday?" The judgment in Tina's voice caused Sebastian to grimace.

"No, I did. Ha. Ha. Gotcha. You fell for it," Sebastian spat, lacing his words with a thick layer of sarcasm.

"Really? You're going to be a dick now? Is that really the best idea?" Tina asked, sounding completely bored by his attempt at sarcasm.

"Sorry," Sebastian mumbled, surprising both him and Tina: "I had no clue. How the hell was I supposed to know? He never told me his birthday!"

"Uhh..i don't know, maybe look at his Facebook page since it's on there and there are already like 87 'Happy Birthday Blaine' messages on there."

"I don't look at Facebook pages. Who looks at Facebook pages still?" Sebastian ran his hand through his slightly messy hair, taming it within one simple pass.

"Who still—oh, I don't know, maybe the millions of people on there!? Not to mention the 87 that already wrote something on his wall!" Tina yelled into the phone.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm already pissed that I'm starting off today as the worst boyfriend in the history of—"

"WHAT!" Tina yelled, causing Sebastian to flinch and pull the phone away from his ear. He couldn't distinguish what her exact words were, but he could definitely hear high pitch squeals and words being rushed together. If he had to guess, she was probably repeating the phrase "Crazy girl talk, blah blah blah, I'm psycho!" over and over.

"Give a guy a warning next time you decide to go all Chihuahua on me," Sebastian said after Tina's shrieks died down.

The two shared a brief exchange where Tina tried to fish all of the details about their previous night out of Sebastian. He told her about their conversation and how they decided to officially become exclusive with one another. She pushed for more details about how they spent their first night as an official couple, but was extremely annoyed when Sebastian refused to share that information.

"Come on! You know Blaine will tell me anyway. What's the point?" Tina tried again.

"The point is that I'm not going to talk about Blaine like that without his permission," Sebastian answered while smirking, knowing that she would be severely let down when Blaine told her that all they did was kiss. They hadn't really done anything, but that didn't mean that he had to tell her that. Why not let her freak out over not knowing until Blaine set her straight? It'd serve her right for calling him so early in the morning.

"You're no fun…I mean…I like you a little more now because that's actually really sweet…but you're still no fun. I thought you'd be the fun with all the juicy sex gossip!" Tina complained.

"I think this friendship is still too new for you to be pumping me for information about my sex life with Blaine. This is slightly uncomfortable for me."

"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't know you were such a prude. Do you need to get back to your bible study?" came Tina's mocking voice.

Sebastian laughed, but then stopped when an idea popped into his head: "Hey, what time is the party tonight and what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"I told everyone 8 and not much. My parents are out of town this weekend and I already got everything I need, so my day is pretty open. Why?" Tina asked.

"Do you think you could take Blaine to a movie or something for a few hours today and then meet me at The Lima Bean later this afternoon?"

"Sure," she answered, "actually that'd be perfect. He can tell me all about your night and what you did since you won't. What time should I pick him up?"

"How about at noon?" Sebastian asked.

"Sounds good to me. What are you going to do?"

"Try and figure out something that he'll like."

Tina offered him a few ideas, but none of them sounded right to him. A small, proud part of him also wanted his gift to Blaine to be completely his idea, and not one that was given to him by someone else.

Sebastian sighed as he pressed the 'end' button on his phone screen and tried to calm his nerves. It was just a birthday. There was no reason for him to be anxious. Blaine wasn't the materialistic or selfish type, so he wasn't expecting some huge elaborate gift or day. He smiled as he pictured the genuinely surprised face Blaine would have when Sebastian even uttered the phrase "Happy Birthday" to him. That was one of the reasons that he liked Blaine so much: he was a good person that never felt like people owed him anything. Blaine could give you the last five dollars in his wallet and not feel as though you owed him even a small favor.

Sebastian looked down at his phone as he thought about what Blaine might want to do for his birthday. He had the whole day to celebrate in a way that Blaine would like. But what could he do? If it were anyone in Sebastian's family, he would automatically make reservations at the highest rated and most expensive restaurant in the area and buy the most expensive present available. He couldn't do that for Blaine. He knew that Blaine would only be made uncomfortable by such extravagance.

He had to think fast.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian gently sat down on the bed, next to Blaine and shook him slightly, trying to wake him. Blaine groaned slightly, but didn't budge. Sebastian smiled and leaned over and placed gentle kisses along the boy's neck. The kisses caused Blaine to create a different set of noises, soft purrings, but he still refused to open his eyes. Sebastian smiled and placed some more kisses on Blaine's neck as he whispered a song into Blaine's ear:

_Happy Birthday to you…_

_Happy Birthday to you…_

_Happy Birthday dear Boyfriend…_

_Happy Birthday to you…_

After the first line, Blaine's eyes had opened slightly after a large grin appeared on his lips. By the end of the song, he was laughing softly and looking at Sebastian with an unreadable expression.

"Happy Birthday, Blaine," Sebastian said softly with a very un-Sebastian-like smile on his face.

Blaine blushed as he pulled the bed sheet up, covering his mouth and nose: "You remembered my birthday."

"Why are you doing that?" Sebastian asked in amusement, gesturing to the sheet covering half of Blaine's face.

"I don't want you to smell my morning breath," Blaine said quietly, his blush visible to Sebastian, even behind the sheet.

Sebastian laughed and shook his head. Blaine was adorable: "The polite, more-boyfriendly thing to say is probably 'I don't care. You don't have to do that,' but the truth is I actually appreciate that a lot. Morning breath is kind of gross."

The two laughed at Sebastian's confession.

"Does that make me an ass?" Sebastian asked with a smile.

"No," Blaine said from behind his sheet, "it actually makes me happy because then I know you'll do the same for me." He crawled out of the bed and walked to his attached bathroom to brush his teeth.

"What are you talking about? Rich people don't have bad breath in the morning. Our breath smells like money and diamonds."

Blaine stuck is head out from behind the wall so that Sebastian could see him roll his eyes, effectively causing the taller boyfriend to laugh. Blaine walked back to the bed and climbed in.

"So, Boyfriend, are you ready for your first birthday present?" Sebastian asked.

"What? You didn't have to get me anything!" Blaine protested, genuinely shocked that Sebastian had a gift for him. Sebastian smiled to himself, happy that he knew the other boy well enough to predict this reaction.

"Well, don't get too bent out of shape. This isn't anything big. Actually, it might be a huge help to me if you assume I got you a pet rock or something. It'll make this look better," Sebastian said, suddenly feeling very foolish about what he was going to present Blaine with.

"I'm sure I'll love whatever it is," Blaine smiled, reassuringly.

Sebastian got up from the bed and walked over to the hallway, stopping at the doorway.

"I made you breakfast in bed," he explained as he stood there, looking at the tray that was sitting on the ground on the other side of the wall.

Blaine's eyes grew wide with surprised as he watched Sebastian look so uncomfortable and adorable. He smiled at the realization that he was possibly the only person that could make Sebastian act this way. He liked the effect he had on Sebastian. He knew it meant that their relationship was worth something.

"You made me breakfast? Sebastian, that's so—wait, did you make me breakfast or did you order me breakfast?" Blaine asked, his smile turning into a teasing smirk.

Sebastian laughed, remembering the last time he provided Blaine with breakfast, "I made it, thank you very much. This meal is 100% Sebastian-made."

Blaine beamed again, "I'm impressed. You didn't even burn anything down! Nothing was broken!"

"Well," Sebastian said as he bent over to pick the tray up and carried it to the bed, "I wouldn't say that. I cut my thumb, hence the Band-Aid," he said, wiggling his thumb around and displaying his war wound.

Blaine started laughing when he saw the plate, his eyes filling slightly with tears as he tried his best to control his laughter. When Sebastian said he had made Blaine breakfast, he thought that the boy had done something simple like eggs, toast, or even waffles possibly. The plate in front of him was definitely not what he expected when Sebastian said the phrase "breakfast in bed."

"See," Sebastian said, somewhat self-consciously, "I told you not to expect much."

"No," Blaine said finally after controlling his laughter, "I'm sorry. This…this is really sweet Sebastian. I…no one has ever made me breakfast in bed before. I just…I guess I didn't expect this when you said breakfast, but this is amazing. You're amazing!" He pulled Sebastian down and kissed him, enjoying the taste of the other boy on his tongue. He could still taste the mint of Sebastian's toothpaste. The kiss lingered for a few seconds more than an average kiss might. It was becoming increasingly clearer to Blaine that he wanted things to go to the next level with his new boyfriend. As he pulled away from Sebastian's lips, he couldn't help but wonder what else those perfect lips could do.

"Well you know I don't know how to cook. I tried Googling how to cook eggs, but that just looked confusing and I was scared that I might start a fire, so I opted to not do that. There really wasn't much for me to work with in that kitchen. I saw the applesauce in one of the cabinets and then the bagel seemed like an obvious choice," Sebastian explained, blushing slightly from the thoughts running through his mind after that kiss and covering his lap, the evidence of those thoughts, with the bed sheets.

"And the peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" Blaine asked, his laughter threatening to come out again.

Sebastian puffed out his chest comically, "Well, that's one thing that I _do_ know how to make. So I had to show off my excellent PB&J skills."

Blaine laughed and the two spent the next hour or so in bed, eating the "meal" that Sebastian had prepared and trading stories about memorable birthdays. Before Sebastian knew it, they only had 30 minutes before Tina would show up to take Blaine out.

"Oh, you have to get in the shower!" Sebastian said, jumping out of the bed.

"I don't smell that bad, do I?" Blaine frowned, lifting his shirt up to his nose to inspect its smell.

"No, Tina is coming by at noon to pick you up. She's taking you to a movie for your birthday," Sebastian said, walking over to Blaine's closet and pulling off his shirt.

Blaine stared at his boyfriend's toned back. Sebastian would never be accused of having body-builder muscles, but the definition of his muscles wasn't something that could be denied. Blaine's thoughts from earlier came rushing back into his mind as he watched Sebastian pull off his shorts, leaving him only in his underwear.

Sebastian turned around and caught Blaine staring at him with a certain look on his face. He smirked as he asked, "Like what you see there, Boyfriend?"

"Maybe," Blaine replied in a shy manner, "is that OK?"

Sebastian's next sexually charged comment was caught in his throat. The look on Blaine's face brought him up short. Was Blaine implying what he thought he was implying?

"Of…of course it is. Isn't that one of the perks of being boyfriends? There has to be _some_ good things about monogamy for all of you people to be so gung ho over it," Sebastian said.

Blaine smiled, "Yeah…yeah, I guess so."

Sebastian smiled before continuing to get dressed. He pulled on a pair of pants that he kept in Blaine's closet. He had grabbed a shirt and was about to pull it on when Blaine's voice stopped him.

"So…I was thinking…I don't know what you have planned tonight, but maybe we could end up back at your place tonight?" Blaine asked, looking down at the bed and playing with the sheet.

Sebastian cocked his head to the side before starting to pull on his shirt, "Sure, if that's what you'd like. Not that it isn't fine by me, but is there any reason why you want to be there instead of her?"

"Well," Blaine mumbled, "I think you have some things there that I don't have here."

Sebastian froze, his arm sticking straight up in the air while the other had been in the process of pulling his shirt down over his head. He stood there, looking ridiculous as his chest and stomach remained exposed. His eyes locked onto Blaine's as he tried to read the other boy: He was talking about sex, right? Was Blaine saying he was ready for sex? Were they going to finally do it later that night? Sebastian suddenly felt anxious for the entire day to be over so that they could just go back to his house. But now, it also put more pressure on him. He had to deliver a perfect birthday for Blaine. He had plenty of condoms and lube at his house, so he didn't have to worry about buying any. That was surely what Blaine had referred to when he said "some things," right? Should he get rose petals? Was that too much? Was it too gay? Who cares? They _were_ gay, weren't they? But was it cheesy? He didn't want to come across like some lame teenage virgin who buys flowers at the local grocery store. What the hell, when did sex become so complicated?

"Yeah," Sebastian breathed out, "that's definitely something we can do."

"Good," Blaine smiled shyly, "I can't wait."

— **Glee —**

"So what movie are we seeing?" Blaine asked as he leaned back into his seat in Tina's car.

"I'm sorry, I didn't understand you. All I heard was 'Blah, blah, blah, I'm a big fat jerk face!'" Tina scowled as she pulled out of his driveway.

"What!?" Blaine cried, confused as to what Tina was talking about.

"When exactly were you gonna tell me that you and Sebastian were official?" Tina asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

Blaine sighed as he closed his eyes. Leave it to Tina to find out information that wasn't even a day old. Sebastian must have mentioned it while they planned his movie outing. The thought that Sebastian mentioned it brought a smile to Blaine's face. If he mentioned it, then clearly it was something that he was excited about. Maybe he even bragged a little?

"What's with the little smile? I don't think I know that smile," Tina said, smiling herself and glancing over at Blaine.

"Nothing."

"Thinking about your boyfriend?" she asked.

Blaine laughed and blushed slightly while turning his face away from Tina and looking out the window, "Maybe."

"So spill! We can be Besties again if you tell me everything."

Blaine proceeded to tell her about what had happened when Sebastian first showed up the previous night. She of course rolled her eyes when Blaine told her how he had brought a whole tray of lasagna ("Typical. I'm not surprised"). She laughed when he told her about his Skype call with Cooper and how he essentially had the same, albeit tamer, observations about Sebastian as Kurt did back when they had first met. She asked if he had mentioned to Cooper how Sebastian was the one who blinded him the previous year to which Blaine shook his head. He explained that there was no point in rehashing history that was exactly that, history. He knew it would only anger Cooper and make him hate Sebastian. Despite their ability to joke about it, Blaine still knew that Sebastian felt horrible about what he had done. He had never told his parents who had almost blinded him; he told them that it had just been a bully at school. There was no way that Blaine would ever put Sebastian through the humiliation of having to admit to his parents what he had done, even though it was an accident.

"So you really like him," Tina said, more than asked. She smiled when Blaine nodded his head affirmatively: "Not to bring things down, but how exactly does Kurt fit into all this?"

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, his body tensing at the mention of his ex's name.

"I mean, I'm happy for you and Sebastian. I honestly like you two together, as weird as it is, but at the same time…I mean…this _is_ pretty soon after your break-up with Kurt. I know you and Sebastian got close a while ago, but you weren't single for very long before you started dating Sebastian. Now you guys are exclusive. I just want to make sure that you're not rushing into things because I genuinely think this could work for you two."

"But not if we start things prematurely or for the wrong reasons," Blaine finished her thought. Tina nodded her had and Blaine sighed: "I don't know. I mean…I still love him. I probably always will. I don't really think I'm _in_ love with him anymore, but he was my first for a lot of things. He was the first guy that I loved and the first one that made me feel loved. It's hard to just forget that. I don't think I ever could."

"And I completely get what you're saying. I'm not saying you should forget everything you had with Kurt because that would be stupid and unrealistic, but I just want to make sure that you're being fair to Sebastian…and you. You guys deserve a shot at being happy…well, you do. I doubt he deserves it," she smiled and winked at her friend.

Blaine laughed, "He does. He's a really great guy that's just been hurt by a lot of people. He has his guard up, but you'll see the different side of him once he warms up to you."

"I know. Actually, I think I'm already seeing snippets. He apologized to me again today and I didn't even have to hold a gun to his head. That's definitely a different person than the one who blackmailed Rachel and slushied you in the face," Tina said as if it were a normal sentence to say.

"Hey," Blaine said softly, looking at his friend, "you really are OK with us being together, right? I mean, I know that you say you support it, but you _do_ tend to bring up a lot of the stuff he's done in the past a lot. Not that it isn't warranted but—"

"No, I'm sorry Blainey. You're right. I do bring up those things a lot and I'm sorry. When this first started, I thought you were crazy, but I've seen him talk about you guys and call me crazy, but I believe him," she shrugged.

"I hope you don't think I was calling you a liar," Blaine said while reaching over and grabbed her right hand. Tina looked over at him and smiled as she squeezed his hand.

"I didn't. It makes sense. So, to sum everything up, you guys are officially boyfriends and now we can double date again!" Tina said, the latter half being yelled in excitement.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Blaine laughed, "Sebastian isn't exactly a people person and the last double date we went on, I had to hear him complain for days about how dumb double dating is."

"Well then, maybe a foursome?" she joked.

Blaine laughed at the thought, "Actually, that sounds more up his alley, although I don't think Mike would enjoy that too much."

"Who cared about Mike?" Tina laughed, "It'd be me and three hot guys!"

The two spent the next two hours in the theatre watching the state of Washington being attacked by a foreign army. They didn't have much clue about what was going on because they spent their entire time giggling and whispering about how hot "Thor" and "Peeta" were in the movie. It was exactly what the two needed. It had been awhile since they were able to just be silly and laugh together. Life had cut into their friendship time, but they were happy that it felt as though no time had passed at all in their relationship. As they walked out, Tina kept going on and on about Thor's muscles.

"You do realize that his name isn't actually Thor and that that's actually a completely different movie, right?" Blaine asked with amusement.

"Who cares what his name is. His name should be 'Do me, now' because that's all I'll be saying to him if I ever meet him. I mean…honestly. Did you not see his arms? Arm porn," Tina said while dramatically fanning herself which caused Blaine to laugh.

"Well, from what I remember, you boyfriend isn't without his own muscles. It's not like you're muscle-man deprived."

"True," Tina said while turning with a grin on her face, "but I'm not the only one with a hot boyfriend. Sebastian looks like he has his own muscles. Am I right?"

Blaine did a wonderful impression of a gaping fish, opening his mouth only to close it a second later. His cheeks turned a soft pink as he smiled and looked at the cars around them and not at his friend who had asked him a question.

"I knew it! You guys have totally done it! How was it? I bet it was good. The only good thing about having a skanky boyfriend is that he's had the practice, right?" Tina asked all in one breath.

Blaine frowned and shook his head, "No, we haven't had s…we haven't slept together. He's been very gentlemanly actually. He doesn't want to rush things or do anything that might make me uncomfortable. He's actually…kinda s—"

"Oh god, if you say sweet, I swear I'll swerve this car into oncoming traffic. What is it with you two? He refused to give me any good sex gossip this morning and you're telling me there isn't even any to begin with? What's the point in having two hot, gay friends who are dating if they won't tell you about all the sex they're having? You are an embarrassment to the community, Blaine Anderson!" Tina ranted.

"I'm glad you think all gay people do is have lots of sex," Blaine replied sarcastically.

"Of course I don't think that's all you guys do," then she added with a smirk, "You star in Bravo reality television shows and use the term "fierce" a lot too."

Tina laughed and did her best to keep the car from hitting oncoming traffic as Blaine jokingly yelled in anger and threw a purse at her (her purse, and the irony wasn't lost on them).

"Well," Blaine began, "if you must know…I think that my answer will be different after tonight."

"What?! Spill it, Slut!"

"Well, this morning, I was in bed and he was in the middle of getting dressed—"

"Thank you for that visual," Tina said, picturing a semi-naked Sebastian in her head.

"O course, I thought you'd enjoy the mental image of my boyfriend in his underwear. It's a very nice sight."

"Boxers or briefs?"

"Boxer briefs."

"…those are my favorite. Color?"

"Black."

"Bulge size?"

"Tina!"

"Blaine…"

"No!"

"Come on…"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Blaaaaaine…"

"No."

"…big?"

"…pretty big."

"And now you may continued."

Blaine sighed as he shook his head. How was it that Tina could always get information out of him? It's like she had some sort of mutant power or had slipped him some Veritaserum or something. Or maybe it was because he secretly wanted to brag about Sebastian?

"Well, I don't know what all he has planned tonight, but I did ask him if we could go to his place tonight because…because I figured he had some things that we might need that I didn't," Blaine said, fighting back the flushing of his cheeks.

"Why Blaine Anderson…aren't you just the town whore. Look at you propositioning your boyfriend like that?" Tina teased as she continued driving.

"I'm glad you find this amusing," Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't find it amusing. I find it hot. You're finally gonna get some good sex!"

"Tina!"

"What? We both know what you told me about you and Kurt's sex life. I mean, I love him, don't get my wrong, but you said it was never really that great," Tina said more softly.

Blaine sighed as he chewed his lip. She was right. With Kurt, sex had been more of a way that they were able to feel closer to each other. It wasn't a way to feel good. It wasn't as if the sex was horrible, but it wasn't the type of sex that two teenage boys should have. There wasn't passion in it. It was sweet. It was loving. It made Blaine feel good in his heart, but he always rolled over afterwards feeling like something was missing. He smiled slightly, thinking back to his times with Kurt. Despite everything that led to their break up, he couldn't help but miss some of their moments together. He only hoped that he and Sebastian could have just as many wonderful shared moments.

"It wasn't the hot steamy sex that you clearly pictured in your head," Blaine said, trying his best to be an adult and not shy over the word, "but it was nice. It was different."

"Who wants nice sex? I want the make-me-bite-down-on-my-pillow-because-I-think-I'm-going-to-wake-Russia kind of sex," Tina boasted.

"Is that how it is with Mike?" Blaine asked.

"Duh! I mean, we still have that sweet, staring-into-each-other's-eyes kind of sex, but we definitely have the break the headboard kind too. I think it's important to have both. You get to be crazy but then you also know that they really love you, even though they pull your hair or choke you a little," Tina finished with a smirk.

"Kurt and I had the sweet kind…"

"But not the crazy kind. I think you and Sebastian can definitely have the crazy kind…"

"But you're not sure about the sweet kind?" Blaine asked. Tina solemnly shrugged her shoulders. Blaine frowned, worried that he might have the same problem with Sebastian. The Warbler wasn't exactly known as being "sweet," though that wasn't completely true anymore. Sebastian had really shown off a softer side to Blaine, but he had never really shared his feelings beyond the phrase "I like you." Blaine had shared love with Kurt. As much as he wished it weren't true, a part of him wondered if Sebastian was capable of love. That was a horrible thing to say about his boyfriend, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe things might never progress beyond what they currently had.

Blaine shook his head. No, he was just being overdramatic. _He_ wasn't even in love with Sebastian. They had barely begun dating. Why should he be upset that Sebastian wasn't in love with him? It was silly and unfair. Plus, it was a little crazy and borderline obsessive.

"I…he's been really different lately, Tina. He's really a completely different person. I…he just…he's different." Blaine wished he could convey how he felt, how amazing Sebastian had been, how he had far surpassed any expectations that Blaine may have had for him.

"So you think you can have both versions of it with him?" Tina asked. She glanced over at her friend, hoping that he could be happy with Sebastian. Blaine was one of those nicest people she knew. If there was anyone that deserved happiness in her life, it was definitely Blaine. She was being honest when she told him she hoped things would work out between the two. As odd a pairing he was with Sebastian, she couldn't deny that when things were good between the two, she had never known Blaine to be happier. Hopefully the trust-fund ass would get it together and stop screwing things up.

"Yeah," Blaine smiled to himself, the realization hitting him, "Yeah, I think I can."

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's the new chapter. Hope you all liked the last chapter…the reviews didn't come in like usual and the dramatic part of me was all "They hated it!" But I've calmed my nerves since then, so it's all good.**

**This was meant to be one chapter, but I decided to break it up into two so I could get something out for you! This was very cutesy as a birthday should be. I had the idea of a unconventional-breakfast in bed scene in my head for awhile and I felt like this was a good time to include it. Any thoughts on what Sebastian should get Blaine for his birthday? I'm trying to think of a good idea, but nothing's really popped in there yet.**

**That said, please take a minute and leave me your thoughts/some feedback. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about this chapter, but I'm hoping it was just me being overly critical. Thank you so much to those who reviewed/favorited/started following this: FNFNFNFN, badboylover19, Jv4evr, botanthegrimreaper89, jjjanimefan1, sanddais, GothicGold, karashicohi, Essy94, IvonneJedward, Shirley Holmes, TV Time, RHatch89, Forever Gleek2000, BelugaLoki, OMGAKAWTF, Aquaria245, RoseCriss, Yingtia, anderpson, Des (x2!), and Multiblaine (thanks, although if you want, head to my author's page and look at my list of favorites. I like to think I've found most of the good, long Blaine, but not Klaine, fics on here!). You guys are awesome and it always makes my day to get notification emails from you. I responded to most of the reviews and I'm going to finish up the rest right after I post this. **

**P.S. I'm at over 250 reviews! What? When did that happen? Beaming. Me. :)**

**I hope you're still enjoying the story. Feel free to throw in some requests or ideas. You know I love them/steal your good ideas whenever possible! **

**NEXT CHAPTER: (I can actually tell you since I outlined the chapter before I chopped it in two) A serenade, small gifts are given, a dinner scene, a party happens (with comedic Sam and Sugar appearances), and then the boys had back to Sebastian's house for…well…yeah lol**


	22. And Many more Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just as a heads up, take a second and go YouTube "Song for Amanda" by Kyle Riabko right now. It's really cool, mellow song and it's used in this chapter. I personally think it's nice to have the actual song playing or at least familiar to you when it's included in a story. Also, Merry/Happy Christmas! :)**

**Also, note that **_**…italics…**_** denote a character's (Sebastian's) thoughts.**

**DISCLAIMER: If you think I own any of this, please punch yourself in the face. Seriously.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: …And Many More Part II**

_Blaine: Hi! We're here at the Lima Bean. Are you here or are we early?_

Blaine looked up from his phone after typing.

"Are you sure we gave him enough of a notice when he left the theatre? I hope we didn't beat him here and ruin the surprise," Blaine said worriedly.

"He said he just needed a 10 minute heads up. It took us longer than that to get here from the theatre. I'm sure he—"

Tina stopped talking as Blaine's phone notified them that he had a new text message.

"Speak of the devil," she smiled as she waited for Blaine to read his text.

_Sebastian: Nope! You're perfect (as per usual). Just come inside. There's a table already waiting for you. You'll know which one. _

After reading the text to Tina, the two shrugged and got out of the car as quickly as possible. Blaine couldn't wait to see what Sebastian had in store for him. As much as he denied the fact that he wanted anything done for him on his birthday, he was secretly ecstatic that Sebastian was being so sweet and going to so much trouble for him. Tina couldn't wait to see what Sebastian had been able to come up with in a few short hours. She wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, this was Sebastian Smythe who had the emotional depth of a cheap apartment sink; On the other hand, he was also the one who gave Blaine a bouquet of bow ties. Who knew which version of him Blaine would get on his birthday, hopefully the latter.

As they walked into the café, Blaine began scanning the room. Where was Sebastian? He cringed as he spotted a man spilling coffee all over the papers on top of his table. He heard laughter and his eyes immediately snapped over to the source, assuming it was Sebastian. He was disappointed when he only saw a group of McKinley students laughing at the man's misfortune.

"Do any of these tables stand out to you?" Tina asked as she looked over at her friend. Sebastian's direction to find his table popped back into his mind. He quickly looked the tables over again and shook his head, telling Tina that nothing caught his eye.

"Maybe on the other side?" he asked as they walked around the corner to the rest of the tables. The café was semi-busy that afternoon. There weren't many open tables. What if someone had already sat down at the table Sebastian had left for him? What if—

Blaine's mind stopped freaking out when he noticed a stuffed teddy bear sitting at a table with two coffee cups. His face lit up as he looked over at Tina who had obviously already seen it if the grin on her face was any indication. The two made their way over to the table and Blaine picked up the bear, smiling even more when he noticed the bright yellow, bow tie that it was wearing. He noticed a small note attached to the tie. He pulled out the piece of paper and read the carefully written message:

_Put me on._

Blaine handed the paper over to a curious Tina who was craning her neck, trying to read the script. He silently saluted his earlier self for choosing to wear his black polo shirt that day. He would have looked silly wearing a bow tie with a t-shirt, though he still would have gladly worn the thoughtful present. After tying the tie (because honestly, a bow tie is meant to be tied, not hooked or clipped on), he looked over at a laughing Tina holding another small piece of paper.

"Looks like your boyfriend knows us pretty well," Tina said, handing over the paper and taking a sip from the cup in front of her. As she was drinking, Blaine noticed "Tina" written on her cup. He looked down at the cup in front of him and noticed that it too had a name written on it, his, with an added "Birthday Boy" written underneath it. He looked at the paper in his hand that Tina had passed to him:

_Hope you two are thirsty. I figured Tina would want to stick around and see what I had planned. You better be wearing that tie!_

"He got my order right," Tina said as she looked at Blaine with wide eyes. Blaine smiled as he took his own sip from his drinking, already knowing that it'd be correct.

"Yeah, Sebastian is really good at remembering little things like that. I think I mentioned what you usually order in a conversation awhile ago," Blaine added as he smiled, bragging about his boyfriend.

"Maybe he's a better catch than I gave him credit for," Tina admitted.

Blaine frowned. He was _definitely_ a better catch than anyone gave him credit for. Despite how much Sebastian had changed and was nice to Tina, he doubted that she or any of his friends would ever truly realize how great of a person Sebastian really was. Granted, much of that was due to how guarded Sebastian kept himself. It wasn't as if he would ever lay his heart out on his sleeve for the New Directioners to see. The thought actually bothered him more than he thought. It made him sad: sad for Sebastian, for his friends, and for himself.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw the dumbfounded expression on Tina's face as she looked over his shoulders. He turned around to see what had grabbed her attention when he saw Sebastian walking over to a stool positioned in front of a microphone. He smiled when he saw Sebastian sit down. It wasn't just the sight of his boyfriend that caused him to smile, it was what his boyfriend was wearing: a bright yellow bow tie tied around his neck and tucked under the collar of his black polo shirt. Wiping the grin off of Blaine's face would have been next to impossible at that moment.

He laughed as Sebastian strummed a chord and smiled at him. He never pegged Sebastian to be the type to wear matching outfits, but it seemed like the type of thing he'd do just to get Blaine to laugh. Just when he thought he might have Sebastian figured out, the Warbler would do something to completely throw him off.

"This might be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Tina said as she reached across the table and grabbed Blaine's hand. He looked at his friend and flashed her a brilliant smile. It looked to him as though she was enjoying it almost as much as he was.

"Good afternoon Lima Bean," Sebastian said into the mic, smirking when he saw that no one even bothered to look at him as they continued their conversations or reading. There were only two people looking at him and he was just fine with that.

"So I'm only going to sing one song today. It's my boyfriend's birthday and I thought he might like this as a present. I really appreciate you all being a part of this really special moment with him and I…and his best friend, Tina. Hi Tina."

Tina laughed as she stood up and curtsied, making the singer laugh at her antics.

"Oh, and also as a heads up for everyone. I plan on giving away one million dollars to everyone who asks me for some money, so feel free to find me at som point today for a free one million dollars." He paused and waited for any smart ass to stand up and claim his or her money. Unsurprisingly, no one even flinched. "You guys are the best. Honestly."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the customers, not surprised when nothing had changed: "So this song is for you Blaine. Happy Birthday, Boyfriend."

The two shared a look at the moment, wearing identical grins…and identical clothing. Blaine pulled his hand away from Tina and propped his head in his palm. He could honestly listen to Sebastian sing for hours. He felt absolutely perfect in that moment: he had his best friend and his boyfriend right there with him. What else could a person ask for on their birthday?

_Let's go back to my place _

_Open up a bottle of wine._

_We can move it slow, yeah_

_I know you like to take your time._

_We'll let Miles Davis play us into the mood._

_And if I'm lucky, I'll steal a kiss from you._

_I, I need you to know…_

_If you want it,_

_You can have it._

_There'll be nothing more to say_

_When I take,_

_When I take your breath away._

Tina looked across the table at her friend and smiled when she saw the look on her face. It was as if time had erased ten years off of Blaine's life and he was a giddy, little boy excited about his birthday. There was a smile on his face that Tina couldn't even describe in words. She didn't doubt that she could have flipped the table over and set her hair on fire without Blaine even noticing. His eyes were trained on his singing boyfriend and she doubted that anything could tear them away from him. A smile tugged at her lips as she realized that this was more serious than she had realized. Sure, she knew that Blaine liked Sebastian, but the look on his face conveyed an emotion much stronger than a simple liking or a schoolboy infatuation. She wondered if Blaine realized just how deeply he cared for Sebastian. The mention of the other boy in her thoughts made her look over at the crooner. He was wearing a similar smile, one very uncharacteristic of him. She smiled, hoping that it meant that he would treat Blaine right, that he wouldn't be the cocky ass she had previously known. In that moment, Tina was happy for her friend, happy that he had found someone to be there for him after his disastrous break-up with Kurt. Years later, she would claim that that song was the moment that she knew they'd be together forever (whether or not her statement was true was something she'd always argue with the two).

_Let's get on the couch_

_You can tell me all about your day._

_Yeah and let me rub your shoulders_

_Gonna take that stress away._

_Well you're absolutely gorgeous _

_And I'm lost in the candlelight._

_And I'd do anything_

_To kiss those lips all night._

_I, I need you to know…_

_If you want it,_

_You can have it._

_There'll be nothing more to say_

_When I take,_

_When I take your breath away._

Sebastian smiled as he sang the song, hoping that Blaine was able to figure out what he was trying to say. Hell, he really hoped Blaine understood, or else he was dating a complete idiot. Wearing the same clothes, especially when that included a fucking yellow bow tie, was not exactly what Sebastian considered to be a fun idea. Honestly, he felt completely stupid and like everyone in the room was laughing at him, but the look on Blaine's face when he turned around and the way his eyes stayed on his tie, shirt, and rolled-up khakis for a long period of time made the humiliation worth it. Of course, he hadn't worn the clothes all day. He had kept them in their bags after leaving the store until the very last second so as not to force himself to look ridiculous any longer than he had to. Very few people could pull off the sexy, geriatric librarian-look like Blaine could, and he, Sebastian Smythe, was not one of them.

If someone had told him a few months ago that he'd be subjecting himself to public humiliation for another boy, he would have had their house raided with an anonymous tip to the cops about a thriving meth lab. It wasn't his style to do this. Overt romantic gestures weren't part of his playbook, but there he was nonetheless, doing something he'd never thought he'd do for a boy that he never thought he'd have. It was in that moment that Sebastian realized he might do anything for Blaine. It was also in that moment, looking at the expression on Blaine's face, that he realized he might be able to _do_ anything _to_ that boy later that night. He mentally scolded himself. Blaine wasn't just a one-night stand. He was his boyfriend. He shouldn't be thinking of him in such a crude way, he deserved more respect.

Where the hell had that come from? Now all Sebastian could do was think about Blaine naked and under him because he knew that was exactly what he _shouldn't_ be thinking. Being a good boyfriend was fucking hard. Sebastian was suddenly thankful that his guitar was covering his lap.

_Well I'll lay you on the bed_

_And be as sweet as I can._

_I'll share the night with you._

_We'll take off all our clothes and leave the world alone,_

_This is what I'd like to do._

_Yeah, this is what I need to do._

Blaine couldn't take his eyes off of Sebastian. How was it possible that he was so lucky? How was it even possible that the same boy who threw a slushie in his face (granted, it was meant for his then-boyfriend, or current ex-boyfriend, at the time) was the same boy who was wearing a matching outfit and singing him a love song in public? It just didn't make sense. It shouldn't have been possible, but there he was all the same.

Blaine loved that Sebastian was singing directly to him, never taking those green eyes away from his. As the song continued, Blaine couldn't help but think about their conversation that morning before he left. With every lyric that Sebastian sang, Blaine's heart swelled a little more. The beauty of the moment was somewhat ruined by his body's reaction to it, though the straining in his khakis did little to tear away his attention from his singing boyfriend. He was a teenage boy who was going to have sex later that night. How else should he react when his boyfriend was singing an incredibly sweet song about sex to him? Honestly, he should be given a medal for not rushing the stage, throwing the guitar, and ripping off Sebastian's clothes right there and then. His memory of Sebastian's toned chest and stomach also did little to help his hormones. Who knew it was possible for a moment to be incredibly adorable and hot at the same time?

_If you want it,_

_You can have it._

_There'll be nothing more to say_

_When I take,_

_When I take…_

_If you want it,_

_You can have it._

_There'll be nothing more to say_

_When I take,_

_When I take your breath away._

— **Glee —**

The two boys intertwined their fingers on their drive back to the Anderson household. Sebastian smiled over at his boyfriend before begrudgingly bringing his eyes back to the road in front of them. If had a choice the two, he definitely would not choose pavement over Blaine's face.

"So when do I get the rest of my surprise?" Blaine asked as he gently stroked the side of Sebastian's hand with his thumb.

"I thought you said you didn't need me to do anything for you?" Sebastian teased as he grinned. "I clearly remember you bitc—complaining about me surprising you after the movie. Now, all of a sudden, you want more?"

Blaine chuckled and bent his head down towards his lap, not at all surprised that Sebastian was giving him a hard time. It would be too much to ask for the Warbler to just humor him, even on his birthday. Birthdays were days of surprises, not days of miracles.

"Well…I mean…" his voice trailed off, unsure of how to defend his change of mind. He mock glared at Sebastian when the other boy began laughing at him. He felt a small bit of satisfaction when the other boy feigned fear and brought his hands up as a show of his defeat.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to offend his royal highness," Sebastian said, the exaggeration in his voice not lost on Blaine.

"Well, at least now I can brag to my friends that I have a boyfriend who treats me like a prince." Blaine beamed at Sebastian, causing the other boy to also smile.

The two spent the rest of the car trip teasing each other and displaying their mastery of sarcasm (at least in their own minds). Sebastian made Blaine stay in the car before unbuckling his own seatbelt and getting out. He smiled when he saw the confused look on Blaine's face and smiled even more when he saw the look on his boyfriend's face when he opened the door for him.

"If you're going to be bragging about me, I can't very well let you open your own doors…"

"How gentlemanly of you," Blaine smiled.

"…I mean, you might chip a nail."

Sebastian's joke was met with a punch to his arm. The taller boy cried out in surprise (and also a decent amount of pain). He looked at Blaine as though the boy had grown a second head.

"What the fuck? That actually hurt!"

"What do you mean? I didn't hit you and you weren't just a jerk right now," Blaine said with a smile on his face. Whoever made the claim that Blaine was an innocent goody-goody clearly didn't know the boy very well. He rubbed his arm before wearily leading Blaine up to the front door.

Sebastian led the two up through the house and into Blaine's room. With every room Blaine entered, he almost expected to see a room filled with candles and rose petals. He tried to hide his disappointment when he walked into his room and found it to look exactly as it did when he left (minus the sloppily made bed; that was mostly likely due to Sebastian's good intentions and lack of skills).

"Oh no, Sebastian, why did you leave my window open? My parents are going to have a fi—"

He stopped when he felt Sebastian grab his head. He pulled his eyes away from the open window and looked over at a grinning Sebastian. He was confused. Was that his surprise: a higher than average heating bill?

He followed Sebastian as he was pulled towards the window. When he got a little closer, he noticed that there were a number of things on the roof that was directly outside his window. Blaine let go of Sebastian's hand and walked the rest of the way by himself, placing his hands on the windowsill and finding himself unable to recall any of the annoyance he felt about the wasted heat. There in front of him was a small setup, a stack of blankets and pillows, a basket full of wrapped presents, a container of some sort, and what looked to be a small space heater next to everything. He turned his head back to look at Sebastian, his boyfriend who had once again gone above and beyond any expectation he could have had.

"What is this?" he breathed out. Sebastian smiled proudly, happy that his efforts had obviously pleased Blaine.

"Well, this is part two of your birthday surprise," he said, slipping his arms around Blaine's waist and placing his head on the shorter boy's shoulder, looking at the scene he laid out.

"Part two? You mean there's more than this?" Blaine asked, flabbergasted.

"Of course. All good things come in threes," Sebastian answered.

"I thought it was deaths that came in—"

"Do you really need to pull a me and ruin this moment, Anderson?" Sebastian asked, squeezing his arms around Blaine and nuzzling his neck.

"Sorry," he apologized quietly. "I just…wow, Sebastian. I can't believe you did all this for me. This is amazing. You're amazing," he said as he turned around and kissed the boy on the lips. The two allowed themselves to take the moment and seemingly forget everything around them. They held each other close as they deepened the kiss. There wasn't an urgency in the action; It wasn't a kiss of passion or a kiss of want. There was just a simple joy and adoration that fueled their hearts in that moment. The stayed that way for a few more minutes, before Blaine pulled away slightly and looked at Sebastian with a crooked, shy smile.

Sebastian knew that look on Blaine's face: it was the same look that he was, in that moment, trying to control in himself.

"Tonight, Boyfriend. We have a schedule to keep and what we're both thinking of is not something that I have any intention of rushing through. Tonight."

Blaine blushed at Sebastian's words, slightly embarrassed that he was so transparent in his thoughts, but also happy that Sebastian had the perfect response. The fact that Sebastian wanted to enjoy their first time together and that he considered it to be something special only served to fuel his hormones even more.

The two crawled out onto Sebastian's creation. Blaine had never appreciated the flat roof for his parents' back porch more than in that moment. He sat down on the spread-out blanket while Sebastian pulled an extension cord out from a hidden place and plugged in the space heater. Despite the semi-mild winter weather, it was still cold enough to make their moment uncomfortable if they stayed that way for too long. Thankfully, their jackets, the blankets and the heater all worked together to keep them quite comfortable. Blaine smiled when Sebastian setup some pillows for them.

"Did you clean out Crate and Barrel or something with all these pillows and blankets?" Blaine teased as he snuggled closer to Sebastian.

"Someone has to keep this economy going," Sebastian responded with a wink.

"So, not to be pushy, but I can't help but notice a basket full of wrapped presents."

"Well someone sure has some excellent eyesight. Who's a good boy? Who's a goo—"

"If you think talking to me like I'm a dog is a good idea, I have no problem punching you in the arm again, you know," Blaine deadpanned.

Sebastian winced, remembering the pain from Blaine's previous hit, "I'll take that suggestion and accept its wisdom."

"Good boy!" Blaine teased back. After hearing Sebastian's snort of amusement, he continued, "So…presents?"

"Well, they each have a different meaning," Sebastian laughed, "so why don't you pick them one at a time. Take your pick!"

He held out the basket in front of Blaine and watched as the boy inspected his wrapped gift with his eyes, trying to figure which might be the best with which to start. He carefully pulled out a small envelope and looked at Sebastian, who was wearing a smile on his face. He opened the envelope and pulled out a set of Harry Potter rub-on tattoos. He laughed and looked up at Sebastian.

"When you're 18, you can legally get a tattoo. You don't strike me as the type to want to get inked permanently, so I thought this might be the next best thing. Plus, you know, I could probably slap the Harry Potter logo on an old pencil and you'd love it."

Sebastian smiled as he reached into a small bag in the basket and pulled out a water bottle and towel. The two spent a few minutes picking out which tattoos they wanted to use, finally deciding on a matching set depicting Harry holding the Golden Snitch, on his broom.

"This might be the most incredible present I've ever gotten, and it's only the first one. Thank you Sebastian," Blaine said as Sebastian held the damp tattoo to the back of Blaine's hand.

"Well I'm glad you like it. The rest of the stuff is sort of the same thing, similar stuff," he smiled.

"Harry Potter themed? Or 'now that you're 18' themed?" Blaine asked.

"Guess you'll just have to keep opening and find out," Sebastian answered.

After Blaine inspected his newly applied tattoo and placing a small kiss on Sebastian's lips, he returned the favor and placed Sebastian's tattoo on the back of his hand. Once they held their tattoos next to one another and shared another kiss, Blaine pulled out one of the larger gifts. After unwrapping one corner of the present, he started laugh as he continued shredding the paper.

"Nerf guns?" Blaine asked, his question being accompanied by laughter.

"Yeah, you can legally carry a gun now that you're 18. Again, I would have gotten you a real one, but you don't seem like the kid of guy who'd ever carry a gun…and with my track record so far, I don't think giving you a gun is a good way to secure a healthy future for myself."

Blaine laughed as he pulled out more presents and opened them: candy cigarettes (able to smoke), a lotto ticket (of course, Sebastian took the opportunity to make another "poor people" joke which caused Blaine to swat his harm and tell him to "be nice"), and a clip-on earring.

"You can go get pierced if you want…though I'd like to let you know right now that I'd really prefer you not go let some fat, tattooed guy named Bubba put holes in your body."

"Not a fan of piercings?" Blaine asked.

"It depends on the guy, but it just doesn't go with the sexy librarian thing you have going on."

"I'm not a sexy librarian!" Blaine almost shouted. "It makes me feel like a dumpy 40-year-old woman when you say that, you know."

"Aw, Boyfriend," Sebastian said, pulling the boy closer and placing soft kisses on his neck, "you're anything but. I don't mean it in a bad way. I like it. You have this whole innocent look about you like you volunteer at soup kitchens on the weekends and sing and dance with talking woodland creatures or get dressed by birds in the morning…but I like that about you and I find it extremely sexy."

"You do?"

"Of course," he said placing more kisses on Blaine's neck, working his way up to his ear, "can't you tell how hot I think you are?" he asked, taking Blaine's hand and guiding it down to his lap. He moaned slightly when he felt the touch of Blaine's hand. He gently started sucking on Blaine's earlobe when he felt the pressure on his cock. Blaine shivered slightly at the sensation that coursed through his body.

"Never feel anything other than completely and utterly sexy around me, Boyfriend. I've wanted you since the day I saw you walk through the doors at Dalton. You honestly have no idea the dirty things I want to do with you right now in that bow tie."

"Y-yeah?" he stuttered in a breathy whisper, unable to control his voice.

Sebastian simply sucked on his ear once again, not bothering to move Blaine's hand that was still located on his lap. Neither of the boys chose to acknowledge the light caressing that Blaine's hand was applying to the area (not unless you counted the soft sighs that came out of Sebastian's mouth every few minutes).

They continued opening presents ("A Shake Weight?"…"Yeah, you can go into sex shops and buy toys now") before leaning back and fully utilizing the pillows that Sebastian had set out. They enjoyed the gradual appearance of stars as Sebastian pulled out dinner for the two. Blaine's eyes lit up when he saw his favorite food being pulled out of the steaming container that had previously confused him ("Soggy grilled cheese sandwiches!?"…"You're such a child, Blaine."…"Yeah, but you love it."…"…yeah, I do."). As the two ate and took in the view from Blaine's back yard that looked out onto the edge of a forest, they snuggled even closer together and shared shy and innocent smiles.

"This is amazing, Bas—I mean, Sebastian. Sorry. That just slipped out. I know how much you hate nicknames." Blaine practically tripped over himself in his apology, not wanting to ruin the moment by annoying Sebastian.

"Actually, I kind of like the sound of it when you say it," Sebastian said, smiling and pressing a kiss to the intertwining of their fingers.

"Really? Last time you threatened to call me 'Prince Sparkle Pants' if I ever called you by a nickname."

"No, I said I'd call you that if you called me Seb," he corrected him quietly.

"What's the difference?"

Blaine's smile slowly disappeared and morphed into a look of concern. Sebastian's serious expression worried him. Not two seconds earlier, they had been playfully arguing; Now, Sebastian looked as though his puppy had just been run over in front of him.

"Will used to call me Seb," he whispered as he looked down, refusing to meet Blaine's eyes.

Immediately, Blaine felt like the biggest jerk in the world. He had ruined it. They had been having the best time of his life, and then Blaine had to go and remind Sebastian of his dead brother whose death he still felt responsible for. The apology was coming out of his mouth before he even took a second to think about what to say: "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Sebastian. I didn't mean to bring him up. I know you miss him and still feel guilty over what happened. Oh gosh, I'm such a jerk. I didn't know. I don't even know why I called you Bas. I mean, I think I do sometimes in my head, but I never do it out loud and then I say it right now when things are completely perfect because you've been so sweet and amazing today and I just blurt out something so stupid because I—"

"Whoa! Blaine!" Sebastian yelled, a smile on his face and his hands up in the air, "Calm down. Take a breath there Killer. It's fine. Look, I'm just being a vagina right now. Look, I'm fine. No tears. It's OK, I promise."

Blaine had the decency to look even more embarrassed: "Sorry…I mean sorry, I didn't mean to freak out with my sorry…sorry about that."

Sebastian smiled and teased him some more about his clumsy words.

Blaine frowned, unsure of how to proceed. Sebastian had briefly told him about his brother when they made up at The Lima Bean, but hadn't broached the subject since that night. He knew it wasn't something that Sebastian wanted to talk about, but at the same time, he knew that it was something that Sebastian _should_ talk about.

"Sebastian," he said tentatively, "if you ever want to ta—"

"No," Sebastian cut him off more forcefully than either of them expected before calming his voice, "no, I…I appreciate the offer Blaine, I really do, but I just don't really want to talk about…that."

Blaine felt incredibly stupid: "I'm sorry. I just wanted you to—"

"I know. I know. Thanks, and feel free to call me Bas, Boyfriend. I like it," he smiled.

Blaine was conflicted. On the one hand he was sorry that he brought up a sore subject, but at the same time he was slightly hurt that Sebastian didn't want to talk to him about it. Was it just the timing? Did he not want to ruin their day, because he certainly wouldn't. Growing closer to Sebastian, in any way, would never ruin a day, in Blaine's opinion. Perhaps Sebastian just didn't consider Blaine to be close enough to talk about his brother? This thought really hurt him. He had hoped that his relationship with Sebastian had gotten to the point where they felt comfortable enough to talk about anything. Then again, maybe Sebastian just didn't want to think about his brother because it hurt too much, that was certainly possible; Nevertheless, it probably wasn't something for him to get sucked into at that moment. He was under the stars with his boyfriend, wrapped in a blanket. It was not a time to be stuck in his own head.

"Thank you for the best birthday ever, Sebastian," Blaine whispered as he pressed his lips to the tip of Sebastian's nose, causing the boy to blush slightly.

"It's not over yet," Sebastian said with a smile, enjoying the attention he was receiving.

"I know, but honestly, if this was all you did, it would still be the best birthday I've ever had. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend my 18th birthday with. All I want to do is lay here all night with you."

"Just lay here? Nothing else?" Sebastian teased, though feeling slightly bad that he would soon have to take him to Tina's house for his party, which was the opposite of the low-key night that Blaine had just described.

"Well, obviously I'd be ok with doing something a little more…" he paused, "…you know…" his voice trailed off as his tattooed hand reached forward, under the blanket and lightly started tracing shapes on Sebastian's exposed skin, right above the waist of his jeans.

Sebastian sucked in his breath, not expecting the touch, and certainly not expecting it so close to his cock. Blaine laughed at his boyfriend's reaction.

"You keep doing that and there's no way that all we're doing tonight is lay here," Sebastian said, fighting the urge to drag Blaine inside, throw him on the bed, and ram himself balls-deep into the sexy, curly-haired boy.

Blaine's lips curled in a completely uncharacteristic smirk as his fingers moved down to the waistband of Sebastian's underwear and slipped inside of them to play with the soft hairs located just above the area where Sebastian wished his fingers would go. Sebastian closed his eyes in shock and let out a broken breath, his body shaking slightly. When he opened them, he was met by two hazel orbs staring back at him. He couldn't even remember what had happened before the moment he felt the touch of Blaine's fingertips. It was as if everything before that touch had ceased to exist. His eyes traced the curve of Blaine's lips as his tongue darted out for a split second before returning. Just as Sebastian leaned in to press his lips against Blaine's, he felt Blaine's hand travel further and firmly grasp him, eliciting a deep moan to fill the silence as the two enjoyed each other's company.

"You're incredible, Boyfriend, you know that?" Sebastian breathed as he separated himself from Blaine's swollen lips.

"I like it when you call me Boyfriend," Blaine said, squeezing Sebastian again, causing the Warbler to moan and let out a light chuckle.

"Duly noted," Sebastian growled as he pulled Blaine's lips back to his.

— **Glee —**

"Is a blindfold really necessary?" Blaine asked as he sat back in the passenger seat of Sebastian's car.

"Not at all. I just think it makes you look funny."

"Sebastian!"

The taller boy laughed as he continued following the directions that Tina had given him. He welcomed the distraction of Blaine's complaints, it distracted him from his worries about how the night would go. Sure, Sebastian liked Tina, but she was an open minded individual who walked into her encounter with him with an open mind and a willingness to put the past behind them. Sebastian was doubtful that the rest of the New Directioners would give him the same consideration.

"Seriously, I'm taking this off if all you're going to do is lau—"

"Oh, calm down Maude, we're almost there!" Sebastian yelled.

When he was a few block away, Sebastian sent a quick text to Tina saying that they would arrive soon. He put his phone down and silently hoped that this night wouldn't be a complete disaster. When he made his last turn, Sebastian could see a large group of people standing in front of what he assumed was Tina's house. He tried his best to send them all a friendly smile before turning to Blaine.

"OK, we're here. Why don't you just unbuckle your seatbelt and I'll come around to help you out. Don't take your blindfold off yet. I'll tell you when, OK?"

Blaine laughed before agreeing, so Sebastian went around and opened Blaine's door to help him out.

"Careful, don't trip or anything," Sebastian said, worried about dropping Blaine in front of a group of his friends.

"Really? That's great advice. I never thought about it like that before! Be careful AND try not to trip! It's like a whole new world has—"

"OK Sassy, maybe you can cut back on the whole 'biting my ass' thing," Sebastian said while leading Blaine towards the house and group. He could see most of them trying to hold in their laughter at Blaine's cluelessness. None of them were glaring at him or mouthing threats yet. That had to be a good thing, right?

"Really? Because I would have thought that you'd like me to bite your as—"

"OK WE'RE HERE! SURPRISE!" Sebastian yelled, hoping he covered up Blaine's words, knowing that Blaine would probably die of embarrassment if he knew anyone heard what he was about to say.

"SURPRISE!" the entire group shouted split second after Sebastian did. Blaine stumbled backward in fear and surprise when he heard people yelling in front of him. He pulled off the blindfold as he fell. Thankfully, Sebastian was behind him and able to catch him, preventing him from looking completely stupid in public. Blaine's eyes grew comically large as he took in the group of his friends and then remembered what he was saying a split second before everyone began yelling. He whipped his head around to look at Sebastian.

"Surprise?" Sebastian said with a nervous smile and an uncertain shrug?

— **Glee —**

"So yeah, I mean she was totally trying to make me look stupid and I just didn't like that. I mean, who did she think she was, right? I don't do well with competition because I'm really pretty and most other people just aren't very good at anything. Daddy says I make life unfair for other people by how perfect I am. They kinda suck, so of course I had to put her in her place, you know? I mean, she was asking for it right? Anyway, yeah…so that's why I had Daddy have my third grade teacher fired."

Sebastian had been stuck talking to some girl named Sugar for the past ten minutes. He wasn't even sure Sugar was a name. Maybe she was a stripper or something. They had only been there for half an hour and Sebastian was already going crazy trying not to inform theses _poor_ (emphasis on the word "poor") individuals how meaningless their existence was. Also, he was semi positive that Sugar was trying to rape him.

"That's a really fascinating tale, Sugar," Sebastian said with the fakest smile in the world.

"I know, right?" she asked, putting her arm on his shoulder and "accidentally" spilling some of her drink on the front of Sebastian's shirt. He closed his eyes in frustration, dearly trying with all his might not to start screaming at the girl.

"Oops," she giggled, "I totally didn't mean to do that. Maybe we can go upstairs and get you out of that shirt?" she said while playing with the bottom of Sebastian's shirt. His polo shirt. His polo shirt that matched Blaine's polo shirt. They were still dressed in their matching outfits. He had driven Blaine up and held him when he had fallen back. Everyone know they were dating. Why was she currently touching the same area right about his pants that Blaine had been playing with only an hour ago?

"Uhh…I think you have the wrong idea. Blaine's my boyfriend. I'm gay. I don't want to go upstairs with you and I don't want you to touch me like this," Sebastian said as nicely as possible, which actually wasn't anywhere close to being nice.

"Oh," she giggled again, "no, I don't want to have sex with you!" Sugar said.

"You don't?" Sebastian asked, completely relieved.

"No!" Sugar said while nodding her head affirmatively.

"Wait, you just said 'no' and nodded your head 'yes.'"

"No I didn't," she said, nodded her head affirmatively again with a smile.

"Yes…what…what are you doing?" he asked, confused.

"I'm not asking you to come upstairs and have some fun with me." Her offer was interrupted two times by her hiccups. She laughed even harder and fell against Sebastian's chest, tracing the hard muscle with her fingers. It was then extremely apparent to Sebastian that the girl was completely wasted.

"Hey!" someone yelled behind him. Sebastian whipped around to see who it was, unknowingly causing Sugar to slide off of him with a squeak and fall on the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a tall, _hot_ blonde hissed at him. Who the hell were these people and why did he seem to have a flashing neon sign above his head that read "Bug the fuck out of me!"?

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, biting back what he really wanted to reply with while bending over to help the still giggling Sugar up from the floor.

"No Bro, don't touch her! Don't you think you've been all over her enough tonight?"

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian asked, backing away from the drunk girl.

"I saw the way you were all over her. I thought you were supposed to be gay and dating Blaine? Are you trying to get with her? Were you going to rape her?"

"Wha—"

"You were, weren't you? You were going to take her and then—"

"What? No! What the fuck? I wasn't trying to rape anyone!"

"Does Blaine know about this? You're supposed to be his boyfriend, Dude! How are you going to just mess around on him like that at his own birthday party?" the blonde's voice had steadily grown louder until he was almost yelling, though their voices were doubtful to be carried across the room, considering how loud the music was playing. Sebastian's protests weren't being helped by the fact that Sugar was on the ground yelling "Help me! I don't know where I am! Aliens are after my money!"

"No, I wasn't…no, she was—"

He was cut off by the blonde's laughter. Sebastian froze when he saw the boy doubled over and laughing. He had no clue what was going on.

"Dude…your face…I had you…"

The blonde's words were interrupted by fits of laughter. Though he was happy he was no longer being accused of being an attempted rapist, he had become pissed off that he was apparently the butt of a joke.

"Oh man, you seriously looked like you were going to shit your pants," the blonde was able to say more clearly due to the lessening of his laughter.

"I'm Sam by the way," the blonde, Sam, said, introducing himself.

"Sebastian," he responded as politely as he could muster.

"Sorry about that Bro. I had to give you a hard time. You've officially been inducted into the New Directions group of friends. I figure that's an easier initiation than getting slushied in the face…but I guess you probably like getting sprayed in the face, right Man?" Sam laughed while holding his hand out for a fist bump.

Sebastian was afraid that if he made a fist, he would use it to punch the Sam kid in the face. Thankfully before he was forced to simply walk away from the conversation, Blaine came over to rescue him.

"Hey, I see you two have m—" he paused, "why is Sugar making out with her stiletto on the floor?"

"We're all a little drunk," Same confessed, clapping his hand on Sebastian's shoulder in a friendly manner, completely missing the death glare that the Warbler was shooting him. Blaine however did not miss the facial expression.

"What exactly am I interrupting?" Blaine asked, hoping to ease the tension.

"Sam here was just guessing about how I probably like liquids splashing me in my face…you know, because I'm gay, right Man?" Sebastian's final words came out completely fake and dripping in sarcasm, a fact which was completely lost on Sam.

"Yeah! Exactly! I knew you got the joke!" Same yelled. He was quickly distracted by a screaming Sugar. After five minutes, they were all able to convince her that Artie was not a robot that was trying to kidnap her.

"This is quite the group of friends you have here Anderson. I can see why you chose to stay at McKinley instead of coming back to Dalton." Sebastian's statement was met with a yelling of agreement from Sam who felt so strongly about his connection of brotherhood with Sebastian that he chose that moment to chest bump him, accidentally knocking the Warbler off his balance and making him fall backwards and onto the floor.

"Yeah! McKinley ROCKS!" Sam yelled as he walked over to another group on the other side of the room that had quickly filled up with more students from the high school.

Blaine hurriedly bent down to help Sebastian get back up.

"I'm so sorry Bas, they don't usually get this drunk. Are you OK?"

"Yep, I'm fine," Sebastian replied tensely as he refused Blaine's offered hand and stood up on his own.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Then why do you have that creepy Patrick Bateman smile on your face right now?" Blaine asked, wincing in fear of what Sebastian might do. The image of an erupting volcano flashed through his mind.

"I'm just having a lot of fun meeting all your friends."

"Do you want to leave?"

"No," Sebastian replied, trying to tame his annoyance, "this is your party. You should stay as long as you want. I'll be fine."

Blaine frowned when Sebastian turned to walk away: "Oh…OK. Where are you going?"

"To take a shit…for the next few hours. Have fun!" he called over his shoulder.

Blaine frowned at the retreating Sebastian, but then was pulled by Rachel to a group of his friends. He wanted to go after Sebastian, but was soon distracted by the giggling girls and stories of what was happening in the lives of the newly graduated seniors who had returned for their Christmas break.

— **Glee —**

"Are you sure you didn't completely hate it?" Blaine asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that car ride. The two had stayed for another few hours before Blaine texted Sebastian and found him locked in Tina's older sister's room watching TV.

"I was fine, Blaine," Sebastian answered again, the phrase had already become second nature to him.

"I'm a horrible boyfriend. I ditched you at a party where you didn't know anyone. I'm the biggest jerk in the world," he said as he grabbed Sebastian's hand and apologized another twelve times.

…_How the FUCK is it possible for me to get dragged to a party where all the people seemed like they belonged in an episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, making me want to fucking murder myself, and THEN I have to console HIM because HE'S upset about it all? What the ACTUAL fuck?..._

"Blaine, seriously. I had fun. There was a "How I Met Your Mother" marathon on. Tonight was fun," he lied. It seemed as though the TV in Tina's sister's room was broken, so he was stuck watching some Korean program that may or may not have been trying to convert him to Christianity for 2 hours and 47 minutes…not that he had kept track.

…_There is no amount of blow jobs in the world that could ever make up for tonight…_

"Look at me, I had fun," Sebastian said. Blaine looked uncertain, but then became distracted by Sebastian's tickling. The two settled down and calmed themselves down. Blaine once again reached across to grab Sebastian's hand and laced their fingers together. Blaine brought their hands over to his lap and placed them there, smiling while purposely not looking at Sebastian.

The Warbler smiled as he looked over at a smiling Blaine, and then down at their hands. He could both feel and see the effects of Blaine's thoughts playing out inside Blaine's tight khakis. Right away, all annoyances towards Blaine completely disappeared because all he could concentrate on was the fact that he had his hand on Blaine's dick. He swerved the car slightly when he felt Blaine moving his hand, making Sebastian's hand rub the bulge in Blaine's pants. He stole another look at Blaine, but the curly-haired boy just kept wearing that adorable smile while still refusing to look at him.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Anderson?" Sebastian teased as he let go of Blaine's hand completely and began giving him a hand job through his pants. The way Blaine bit down on his lip did not go unnoticed by Sebastian.

"What gives you that impression?" Blaine said as he adjusted his seat backwards, that goofy grin never leaving his face.

"Oh, I don't know," Sebastian joked, "but forcing me to jack you off while driving did raise an eyebrow."

"Aren't you the one who always says 'you can't force the willing'?" Blaine teased.

Sebastian pulled his hand back and pretended to be shocked and horrified at Blaine's words: "How dare you throw my words back at me! No one makes me use my own logic!"

They continued their teasing all the way through Sebastian's neighborhood, completely missing the sign outside the walls of Sebastian's gate. He pulled up his car to the turn around in front of his front door. Sebastian put the car in park and looked over at Blaine before taking in a deep breath.

"You sure you're reading for this?" Sebastian asked, wanting to give Blaine the chance to change his mind while desperately hoping that he wouldn't. His worries were put to rest when Blaine simply adopted a shy smile, looked down at the obvious outline in his pants and then back at him.

"Are you really going to ask me that?" he asked.

Sebastian smiled, happy to know that he was the cause for Blaine's not-so-little show, "OK, then allow me the pleasure of opening your door, Boyfriend."

"Always," Blaine returned with a smile and small laugh. Sebastian walked around and opened the door for a very gracious Blaine.

"Am I supposed to carry you over the threshold or something?" Sebastian asked.

"Only if you're planning on marrying me which…I don't think is happening here…" Blaine laughed.

It was as if a switch had been flipped and they were suddenly two blushing young children, unsure of what to do next. It was almost as if Sebastian didn't have his hands on Blaine's dick only minutes ago. They smiled nervously at the other and their silences were filled with anxious chuckles. Blaine was brought out of his laughter when he noticed Sebastian frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"My key isn't working," Sebastian said, holding the key close to his face.

"Are you sure it's the right key? Maybe you're using the wrong one," Blaine offered.

"No," Sebastian answered, trying again, "that's what I thought at first too, but this is definitely the right key. I don't know why it's not working. Maybe Olga's home? Hopefully she can let us in."

Sebastian nodded to the doorbell, which Blaine quickly pushed. They waited a few seconds before they heard the sound of dragging footsteps on the other side of the door. The footsteps stopped right inside the doorway. They could see the figure outline of Olga on the other side of the glass, but were confused when the door wasn't opened. Sebastian knocked on the glass.

"Olga, it's me Sebastian! My key isn't working. I think we're going to need to ca—"

He was stopped short when the door opened, revealing a crying Olga. Both boys froze where they stood, unsure of what to do and confused as to why she was crying.

"Olga?" Blaine asked, reaching forward, before bringing his arm back when Olga shook her head no and began crying even more.

"Olga, what's wrong? What happened?" Sebastian asked.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Sebastian," Olga choked out in her heavy accent.

"I am not wanting to do this. I do not, I swear it, but your father told me to. I am so sorry Mr. Sebastian. I never wanted to have to do this. Please, forgive me. I am so sorry!" she rushed before handing Sebastian a note. She gave Blaine one last sad look before crying even more and closing the door in their faces and running back into the house.

Blaine stood there, speechless and not knowing what to do or what had happened. Why was Olga crying? What was she so upset about and why did she keep apologizing to Sebastian. Blaine couldn't think of an explanation as to the woman's odd behavior. But even if he could explain why she was crying, it didn't explain why she apologized to Sebastian or even why she closed the door in their faces. What type of maid closed the door in her boss' son's face? It didn't make sense. Olga always prided herself in being a fantastic maid and housekeeper. She would never deny Sebastian entry. Blaine then remembered the paper that she had given to Sebastian. Maybe that had an explanation.

Blaine turned away from the massive front door to look at Sebastian. Before he had a chance to open his mouth to form the question on his mind, he noticed that Sebastian was already holding the paper. The strange thing was that when Blaine looked closer, he noticed that Sebastian wasn't actually reading the paper. His eyes weren't moving, they were fixed on one spot on the paper.

"He did it."

Blaine frowned, "Who did what?"

Sebastian didn't answer or move, he just simply remained there, a statue or a boy holding a paper. Blaine hesitantly reached forward, inching his fingers towards the paper, all the while watching Sebastian carefully, looking for a sign that he shouldn't grab the paper. When Sebastian did nothing to dissuade Blaine from his mission, his fingers closed on the paper and began slowly pulling it out of the Warbler's grasp. Sebastian never fought him for one second.

"He did it," Sebastian repeated.

Blaine frowned again before quickly reading the note and seeing the object taped to the bottom of the thick cardstock paper.

"Sebastian…" Blaine said as he immediately before taking his boyfriend into his arms and holding tight. "It'll be OK. I'm here."

"No," Sebastian whispered, shaking his head slightly.

"It's OK, It'll be OK. I promise."

"No," he said louder, the coming tears already audible in his short syllable.

"Sebastian, you—"

"No!" Sebastian shouted as he violently shook Blaine away from his, almost sending the shorter boy down to the ground.

"No! It's not OK! No! No…no…no…"

Sebastian turned and walked back towards the car. Blaine hurried after him, fearing that he might just drive off, leaving him there alone.

"Sebastian!" he called, happy when the other boy stopped at the car and brought his fist down hard onto the hood instead of getting in.

"How could he do this, Blaine?"

Sebastian turned around and looked at Blaine. The moment their eyes met, it felt as though someone had dragged Blaine's heart through a gauntlet. He almost felt the pain in his own chest that Sebastian was feeling in his. He began crying when Sebastian's tears fell. He felt an aching inside of him when Sebastian began hitting his car some more, screaming some of the most offensive obscenities that he had ever heard. Every hard consonant, every crack in his voice felt like a knife in Blaine's heart. The two stayed like that for a long time: one crying for the other and one crying for a father that would never love him.

The letter in Blaine's hand was long forgotten when it slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground without a sound.

— **Glee —**

_Sebastian,_

_It is my regret to inform you that you are no longer a member of this household. I have given the staff instructions that you are not to step inside the house. I believe it is obvious that our current arrangements are not beneficial to either party involved. Despite your poor performance, you are still a bearer of the Smythe name. It is for this reason that I have opened your trust fund and parts of the inheritance from your grandparents to you early. The rest will become available upon the dates specified in the original contracts and wills. Please find the address and key to the apartment that was rented for you at the bottom of this letter. All rents and bills will be taken care of until the day of your 18__th__ birthday. _

_Best of luck._

_Sincerely,_

_William Smythe_

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: And a (late) Merry Christmas to all of you! As always, thank you for reading my chapter…I hope I didn't bum anyone out too much. Yes, their sexy times must wait once again for another chapter. Please take a second and let me know your thoughts about the chapter and story so far. A lot of stuff happened in here, and I'm really curious to hear everyone's honest opinion on some of the decisions I've made. I'm always so incredibly pathetic in my wait for feedback from everyone. I've had a good number of "regular" reviewers and I just want to say a special thank you to you. You know who you are! I hope everyone is still enjoying this story, 22 chapters later. **

**I'd like to thank those who took time to review, favorite, and/or follow this story/me since my last update: Amala Eve, Essy94, IvonneJedward, Klainers34, .rocks, Val27, TheFauxMe (she wrote me 22 reviews people! TWENTY-TWO! WOOHOO!), brittana5, ournoisyhearts, StarKidSherlockSlytherin, RHatch89, Forever Gleek2000, TVTime, Aquaria245, karashicohi, RoseCriss, sanddais, BelugaLoki, SomochuPyxis, AND dragonlady! You all rock. If I could, I'd high five the crap out of all of you!**

**I hope everyone had a wonderful winter holiday (whichever you celebrate, or don't celebrate I suppose). I am personally off to pass out before an early morning tomorrow. Again, please leave a note. I believe I was able to respond to all the reviews from last chapter. Until next time!**

**STORY RECOMMENDATION: Go check out TheFauxMe's story "Brand New Ground." It's a Blam story and the newest addition to my favorite stories. I highly recommend it.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The boys deal with Sebastian's new living situation and things just change in general. Eek.**


	23. Repercussions

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sop right now and go YouTube "Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg. Once again, I personally feel like knowing what a song sounds like or playing it while you read a scene (which is what I suggest you do when you get to that section), plus it's just a real cool song. I highly recommend it.**

**Please note that text in italics are flashback/memories (except when they're song lyrics). I trust you to be able to discern which is which.**

**DISCLAIMER: Only thing I own is the situation…and Nick and Tina. I feel like I kinda own those character since they've never actually been given a personality on the show (especially Tina).**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Repercussions**

Sebastian looked down when he felt Blaine shifting slightly in his arms. He smiled at the small frown that slowly faded away as the curly-haired boy nuzzled his face into Sebastian's chest. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back, his fingers absentmindedly working their way through Blaine's untamed curls. How was it that a moment so simple and perfect, such as the one he was experiencing, be proceeded by the chaos that had happened the previous day at his—no, it was no longer his—father's house? He closed his eyes, willing the flashbacks to disappear.

_"Fucking fuck!" Sebastian yelled as he slammed his fist on his car again._

_"Sebastian!" Blaine yelled, placing a hand on the Warbler's bicep, halting it in mid-action._

_The two stared at each other, Blaine taking an unconscious step backwards at the look in Sebastian's eyes. The smaller boy knew that he wasn't in any actual danger, but that didn't stop his natural instincts from taking over. They didn't talk, didn't move. Blaine's grip on Sebastian's arm remained, not at all tight, though still preventing him from delivering another blow to the innocent car simply by its touch._

_Sebastian tore his eyes away first, muttering another string of four-lettered expletives before opening the car door and climbing in._

He looked down again when he felt Blaine stirring again. He grinned, his memories forgotten when he saw one of Blaine's eyes slowly open and look around the room. Though Blaine was definitely a morning person, it did take him about a minute to get his bearings before starting his day.

"Hey there sleepy head," Sebastian whispered as he continued massaging his boyfriend's head, "ready to wake up?"

Blaine simply groaned slightly, shook his head, and buried himself deeper into Sebastian's chest. The taller boy chuckled lightly as he wrapped his free arm around the smaller boy and pulled him in even tighter, placing a small kiss on the top of his head.

"OK, go back to sleep," the voice continued, "You looked too comfortable anyway."

Sebastian was surprised when Blaine's eyes opened once more and looked up at him. He watched as Blaine propped himself up on his elbow.

"I thought you wanted to sleep?" he asked, his confusion showing on his features.

Blaine looked at Sebastian, his look clearly communicating his memory of what had happened the previous day and his sadness for his boyfriend. Sebastian was immediately annoyed at the display. Despite the fact that Blaine was the one person who could get away with most things that annoyed him, he still hated the look of pity on the former Warbler's face. Boyfriend or not, Sebastian's pride flared within him. He consciously had to bite back the comment that wanted to spill out. He knew Blaine cared. He knew that concern was common in romantic relationships, but that didn't mean that it was common to him.

He watched as an inner battle played itself out on Blaine's face. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he watched Blaine's eyes travel across his face before going down to the covers. His eyes then went back to Sebastian's. There was some sort of decision that was being figured out. Something was odd about Blaine's behavior. It was another few seconds before a look appeared on his face and Blaine slowly got up from the bed and walked towards his bathroom. It wasn't until Blaine was walking past the foot of the bed that Sebastian realized why Blaine had looked so torn before getting up. Despite his best efforts to conceal it, Sebastian was still able to see the tenting of Blaine's shorts.

He laughed.

His laughter caused Blaine to stop and for the blood to rush to his face. He stood there completely still, watching as Sebastian laughed. A slow smile pulled at Blaine's lips. Morning Wood wasn't a stranger to Sebastian, he was a teenage boy after all, but there was something about seeing Blaine Anderson, bow tie enthusiast, upstanding citizen, country club card holder, his boyfriend, standing in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts with crazy hair and sporting a huge boner. He couldn't help the laughter. The laughter became contagious and soon made Blaine laugh a little.

"Thanks," Sebastian said as he continued laughing, "I think I needed that."

Blaine only smiled shyly before shaking his body back and forth, causing his dick to swing side to side in his shorts. The gesture, which was done with a look of mortification, made Sebastian laugh even more. Sebastian's laughter followed Blaine into the bathroom.

"You're too good to me, you know that?" Sebastian called out.

"Not many guys would shake their dicks for me just to cheer me up. I don't deserve you," the last of his words coming out in a softer voice. He smiled when he saw Blaine's head appear in the bathroom's doorway with a toothbrush in his hand.

"Well I would hope not many guys are shaking their penises at you, otherwise you have some explaining to do. I didn't think I had to explain the theory behind exclusive dating to you," he said, his words slightly hard to understand due to his brushing: "And I didn't look like an idiot, shaking my penis to cheer you up just so you could be self-deprecating two seconds later."

Sebastian frowned, "I wasn't being self-deprecating. That wasn't a dig at me. I just meant that you're that amazing. God, learn to take a compliment Spazzy."

Blaine's head appeared once again in the doorway as he blew Sebastian a toothpaste kiss, "Well then, thank you. Compliment accepted."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked slightly disgusted at the specks of toothpaste that flew out of Blaine's mouth.

"Well this may be a silly question," Blaine said, pausing as he pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth, "but how are you doing?"

Sebastian sighed, he knew Blaine would bring it up sooner or later.

"I'm…I'm pretty OK actually," he replied.

Sebastian spotted the look of annoyance on Blaine's face as he replied, "Bas, you don't have to pretend li—"

"No, no I'm…I'm actually OK with how things are," he interrupted. Sebastian watched as the look of annoyance transformed into doubt. He could tell that Blaine was physically holding himself back from speaking when he put the toothbrush back in his mouth.

"I'm serious," Sebastian said, "I mean, if you had asked me that question about five hours ago, I wouldn't have been able to answer like that. I didn't really get any sleep last night, too much stuff was going through my head—actually, I think I reevaluated my entire life last night. Looking back, I…I mean I…I'm not completely surprised by what happened yesterday. I mean, I was surprised that it happened when it did, but my dad kicking me out isn't that surprising…if that makes any sense."

Blaine continued to just stand in the doorway, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

"Leaving here, leaving my father was always part of the plan. I mean, if he didn't kick me out when I turned 18, so that he could do it legally, then I figured I'd just take off after graduation and head to New York before I started classes at Columbia," he said, not noticing the look of hurt on Blaine's face.

"I'm surprised that he didn't wait, but I think after really going over things in my head all night, it's not that hard to believe. I mean, yeah, I could be better but I'm not as pissed off as I was yesterday—sorry about that, by the way. I didn't mean to flip out on you like that. I don't really remember what exactly I did, but I'm sure it freaked you out a little."

Blaine opened his mouth to protest the claim, but the closed it when he saw the look Sebastian was giving him.

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better. It's just…after I almost ruined things with us because of what my father said to me…I don't know, he just really pissed me off. I think him leaving me that letter…it just…I…"

"I get it," Blaine cut in, saving Sebastian from having to form his thoughts into words. He returned the smile that Sebastian sent him before walking back out of sight.

In reality, he didn't quite understand Sebastian's logic. It didn't make sense what had happened, let alone Sebastian's response to it. If he had to predict how Sebastian would have reacted to being kicked out, he would have guessed a reaction of either denial or numbness. The violent, loud reaction that Sebastian had confused Blaine. In the end, Blaine accepted that there were parts and aspects to Sebastian that he may never understand. What he did know was that his boyfriend had been deeply hurt. Even if Sebastian was being truthful and he had reached a place where there wasn't so much pain, mourning wasn't something to be experienced within the span of a night. His thoughts accompanied him as he finished brushing his teeth and made his way back to the bed.

"Well," Blaine breathed out while slowly climbing up the bed to a waiting and smiling Sebastian, "is there anything I can do that might take your mind off of things?" He smiled as he softly dragged a finger up Sebastian's well defined stomach. He watched as the taller boy tried to cover his trembling with a forced laugh. It seemed as though Sebastian was constantly determined to have the upper hand, something that Blaine wanted to put an end to.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

Blaine smirked as he brought his finger up from Sebastian's stomach and started tracing slowly circles around his nipples, watching them perk up from his movements. He looked up into Sebastian's green eyes briefly before bringing his mouth down and replacing his finger with his tongue. The hitch in Sebastian's breathing provided all the encouragement he needed. Blaine let his hands wander over Sebastian's barely covered body, focusing on the Warbler's strong legs. Blaine lost himself in his actions. He could feel the beating of his heart as his hand made its way up Sebastian's leg and to the part of Sebastian's body that both boys firmly had in their minds. Blaine let his fingers play with the soft skin and hair before wrapping them around Sebastian and feeling the boy shake at the contact. He began kissing his way down Sebastian's chest when he felt his shoulders being pushed back.

"Wait," Sebastian said, obviously trying to calm his breathing, "we can't do this."

Despite the fact that he still held him in his hand, Blaine resisted the urge to squeeze Sebastian to convey his irritation in the moment. Stop? Why did they have to stop? It wasn't as though his parents would walk into the room anytime soon.

"Why?" Blaine asked, doing his best to keep his annoyance out of his voice.

Best efforts or not, Sebastian was able to see through the mask Blaine tried to present, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Blaine replied quickly.

"Bullshit, Blaine. That's my line. I'm the one who always says nothing when it's actually something and you're the one who's always on my case until I tell you. It's your turn now. What's wrong?" Sebastian fixed the smaller boy with his stare, willing him to save them many minutes by simply answering truthfully. He knew the only person in the world that could challenge his title of "Most Stubborn" was Blaine.

"It's not the time," Blaine replied, sighing.

"Why not?"

"Because," Blaine explained, "you just had a really hard day yesterday. I'm not going to sit here and complain to you about something that I know is stupid while you have all that you're dealing with on your mind."

"Actually, stupid problems would be a nice distraction. Amuse, away!" Sebastian said, leaning backwards and folding his arms behind his head.

Blaine stopped himself from shooting back a retort and Sebastian not being allowed to refer to his problems as stupid, that only he could. He'd just have to add it to the mental list of things he'd one day have to go over with Sebastian: Things NOT to do or say to your boyfriend.

"Well..." he regarded Sebastian carefully, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea to actually bring it up. The pink in his cheeks gave away his embarrassment.

"I just…I mean I know that we talked about this yesterday, that it's just in my head. I get that, but I still can't help but…" a sigh, "but feel like you're not really interested in me like I am in you." The last of his words were mumbled as he turned his eyes away from Sebastian's and looked at his now flaccid lap.

Sebastian froze, terrified by Blaine's words. On the one hand, he knew how he felt about Blaine. He knew he cared deeply for the boy. They had only been together a short amount of time, including the time they spent as friends, but that didn't negate the fact that he held strong feelings for him. He didn't know if it was simply a schoolyard crush or if it was something deeper and more substantial, he had nothing to measure it against, but he knew that Blaine was someone special to him and someone that he deeply, truly cared about. On the other hand, an entire childhood of keeping others at arm's distance screamed at him to keep that truth to himself. Letting others know that you care about them gave them power: power over you. If people had power over you, they could hurt you. Sebastian knew that Blaine would never purposely hurt him, hell, Blaine was the one that should be afraid in their situation. Still, that didn't stop Sebastian from allowing himself to construct the castle walls around himself.

"What…how are you interested in me?" Sebastian asked slowly and softly, almost praying that his words were too quiet to be understood. The offended look Blaine gave him told him that not only had his words been heard, but that they had also been offensive.

Again. Like always.

"What do you mean how am I interested in you? Did me crawling on top of you with a huge erection and kissing you all over—not to mention the fact that I was clearly about to blow you, not give you the impression that I want to have sex, Sebastian?" Blaine spat, an aggravated grunt accompanying his lips.

Sebastian felt his entire body relax as a relieved smile tugged at his lips. Blaine wasn't angry that Sebastian may not be on the same emotional level as him, he was angry because Sebastian didn't let him suck his dick! He ran his hands through his hair and laughed some more.

"I'm so glad you find my insecurities so amusing," Blaine said in a flat voice.

"No," Sebastian insisted with his smile, "I don't. I just thought you were talking about something else. I'm not laughing at you."

"What did you think I was talking about," Blaine asked, completely confused.

"Don't worry about it…and you know I feel the same way, obviously," Sebastian said as he looked down at his erection that Blaine was still holding. He smiled when he saw the pink appear in Blaine's cheeks.

"It's not that I don't want to, I just…my head is still kind of being haunted by my dad and that whole thing right now. I'm not wallowing or anything, it's just that he's still there. And as sexy as you were being a few seconds ago, I don't want to be thinking of him or that while you're sucking me off."

Blaine grimaced, "You make it sound so romantic when you describe it like that."

"What? You blowing me?" Sebastian teased.

"Yes."

"You sucking my dick?"

"Sebastian."

"Shoving my shlong down your—"

"Finish that sentence and those lewd descriptions will be the closest you'll ever get to it," he said. The look on Blaine's face told Sebastian that he had gone too far.

"That wasn't a sentence, it was a gerund phrase," Sebastian added quietly before being hit in the face with a pillow, unable to stop himself.

The two remained in the bed for the next few hours, talking and teasing one another. They amused themselves for a few moments by assaulting Nick's and Tina's phones with text messages, 150 in all. It wasn't until Sebastian looked at the clock that he grimaced in annoyance.

"What?" Blaine asked.

"I'm supposed to sing at The Lima Bean in an hour and I still need to shower and get dressed," he delivered his words while hugging Blaine closer into his body.

A noise came from Blaine's throat, "No kidding. You smell horrible. Your body odor is starting to make me feel nauseous." He yelped in surprised when Sebastian pulled him in even closer and began squeezing him. He played along and began pleading for his life.

"Not until you take that back! I do not make people nauseous. I do not smell horrible, I smell like money! Take it back!" Sebastian yelled as he pulled Blaine in even tighter.

A muffled "Never!" could barely be heard as Blaine tried his best to disentangle himself from the Warbler's grip. After a few more seconds of trying to pull the arms off of him, Blaine resorted to cheating. A second later, Sebastian let out the most undignified yelp of his life and jumped out of bed, leaving behind Blaine grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"That's cheating! You know that! You promised that you wouldn't tickle me again!"

Blaine smiled, remembering the night where he had accidentally tickled Sebastian, causing him to flail his body and knock over the setup of popcorn on drinks that had been sitting on the bed next to them. At first, Blaine had thought that Sebastian had had a body spasm of some sort before Sebastian told him that he was ticklish. Blaine's teasings stopped when he saw how embarrassed it made the taller boy. After that, he promised that he'd never tickle him again.

"Oh, come on," Blaine cooed, smiling even more at the annoyed look on Sebastian's face.

"No," came the stubborn response.

"I'm just having some fun. Aren't I allowed to play with my boyfriend every now and then?" he asked, willing his face to look as adorable as possible.

"Not when you break the rules like that," Sebastian said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aw, come on Bas…Boyfriend…"

The tone of Blaine's voice coupled with the last word stirred something deep in Sebastian. Blaine smirked in victory when Sebastian stepped forward and climbed onto the bed, straddling him.

"I like it when you call me that."

"Well that's something we seem to have in common then," Blaine smiled as he reached up and pulled Sebastian's face to his. The two fell back to the bed, forgetting the clock on the nightstand as they allowed themselves to be distracted by the other's lips and roaming hands.

— **Glee —**

"What are you, stalking me today or something?" Tina said as she smiled and wrapped her arms around Sebastian's neck. Fortunately for her, she wasn't able to see the surprised and uncomfortable look on the Warbler's face.

"Pretty much," he answered, "though you really should have turned the lights off in your room before leaving. And the shirt you tried on before that one looked better on you."

Tina laughed, "Jokes on you, I _did_ turn my light off when I left. Guess you were watching someone else."

"Wait, you mean those weren't your bushes I was hiding in this morning?"

"No," she laughed, "and you mispronounced 'jacking off' there. Don't worry, I won't judge."

Sebastian smirked, "No, I meant hiding. There was no masturbation happening in the bushes."

"Well that's just disappointing," Tina returned.

"I did it in my car afterwards."

Tina laughed, "Well I don't blame you. I'm sure she looked hot…whoever she was."

"Well then I don't feel so embarrassed. That makes me feel loads better…no pun intended," he added after realizing his word choice.

"Of course. That just means you were stalking some other poor girl, but it's understandable. After all, us Asians all look the same, right?"

"Wait, you're Asian!?" Sebastian yelled.

The two passed the next few minutes talking which mainly consisted of Tina bugging Sebastian about wanting details of how they spent the rest of Blaine's birthday night. Because he knew that Tina had no idea what had happened when they got to his house, Sebastian plastered on one of his fake smiles and just told her that nothing had happened.

The realization struck him in the middle of Tina's playful whining. There he was, having his privacy invaded by another person, and he wasn't even angry. How many times in his past had he blown up emotionally when he felt even the slightest of intrusion into his life? How many times had he yelled or threatened people because he just felt like lashing out? Without a doubt, countless numbers of his past schoolmates and acquaintances would testify to the fact that he was a royal dick. Sebastian smirked as a mental image of Jeff tearfully agreeing with the thought.

But what was different? What had prompted this change in behavior? Why was it that he didn't feel the need to verbally slap Tina for butting into his business? The lack of harsh words on his tongue was disarming…literally. What had changed?

Blaine. Blaine had changed him.

Sebastian frowned inwardly, unsure of how he felt about the realization. It wasn't as if he had some deep desire to change his ways. He knew he was rude, entitled, and a bit heartless. He knew he was the villain in the story and he was fine with the idea. He was used to it. He didn't mean that as a way to garner sympathy or seek approval from others. It was a fact. He never wanted to be anyone's hero and golden child, that job was better suited to people who enjoyed pleasing others, to weaker people that needed others' approval and affirmation. No, Sebastian was the type to do as he pleased and then give you a tongue lashing if you even looked at him a split second too long. So why did he suddenly have patience for this girl who had been a stranger to home only a short time ago?

How had a short boy with tight, curly hair have such an impact on his life? What had he done? Blaine had never sat him down and demand that he be nicer and to his knowledge, he didn't play those tapes at night that would subconsciously teach him to be more polite towards others. Whatever the method, Sebastian wasn't entirely sure he liked its results. He liked keeping others away, at arm's length. It was safe. It was familiar. It was what he had always done.

But at the same time, it was nice. He liked that other people smiled when they saw him. He liked being liked, and not feared…thought being feared was still nice. He liked—

"Sebastian."

"Huh?" he asked, snapping out of his moment of self-reflection.

"I said it's been five minutes. You said your break was only five minutes," Tina said, tilting her head and examining his soul with her eyes.

"Oh, right. Thanks," he answered, about to stand up from his seat before she stopped him.

"Where were you just now?"

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering him, Tina simply gave him a look. He smiled, amused at her attempt, clearly used to cutting others down with the look and finding out whatever she wanted.

"I guess I just got lost in my own mind," he shrugged amusedly.

"Well that has to be a scary thing," she teased.

"More than you'd know."

"Thinking about Blaine?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Maybe," he asked, partly telling the truth.

"Well I don't blame you. If I had a hot boyfriend like you did, I would…oh wait…that's right, I do!" she laughed.

— **Glee —**

Blaine opened the door leading to the auditorium. He had been a little surprised when Mr. Schuester called him, asking for some help to sort through music. It was Christmas break after all, but he figured since Sebastian was going to be singing at The Lima Bean and he didn't have any plans for the rest of the day, he might as well help his Glee director. He spotted Mr. Schuester behind a pile of papers.

"Hi Mr. Schuester!" he called as he waved and continued walking towards his teacher.

"Oh, hi Blaine. Thanks for coming. I really appreciate the help," Mr. Schuester said with a smile as he looked up from the tabletop.

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Blaine asked, rubbing his hands together and scanning his eyes over the papers on the table and blushing at his question. His mind went back to the scene in his bedroom after he hand hung up with the teacher.

"_So you're going to help out your teacher?" Sebastian asked, eyebrows raised suggestively._

"_Get your mind out of the gutter, Sebastian. What your thinking of only happens in movies with horrible sexual puns in the title."_

"_You say that as if you're familiar with _those_ types of movies," Sebastian teased._

"_I'm a co-captain this year, I'm sure that Tina will be there as well as Artie," Blaine defended._

"_Did he say they were coming?" Sebastian asked, a look of pure amusement on his face._

_Blaine's resolve faltered, "He didn't…but I'm sure they are. Why are we even having this discussion? Mr. Schue isn't like that."_

"_No judgment, Boyfriend. He's hot and so are you. I don't blame him for trying to lure you to school so he can make a move."_

"_He's not luring me. This isn't your imagination, Sebastian. We're not going to rip each other's clothes off and go at it in the middle of the choir room."_

"_In a pile of money," Sebastian added._

"_What?"_

"_Well," Sebastian explained, "if this is my fantasy, you guys would be having sex in the middle of your choir room in a pile of money. And by you guys, I mean you and me. And by in the middle of your choir room, I mean in a clean and sanitary place that isn't inside a public building where diseases like debt and polyester clothing can't be caught."_

_Blaine rolled his eyes at Sebastian: "You really amuse yourself, don't you?"_

"_Of course. How could I not?"_

"_Well," Blaine said as he got up from the bed, "maybe you're right. I mean…he _is_ pretty good looking and I saw him wear a t-shirt once. There are definitely muscles under all those button-ups and vests. Maybe it wouldn't be horrible if he tried something…"_

_Sebastian frowned as he saw a pensive look appear on Blaine's face._

"_I mean, we would be there all alone. No one else should be in the school. I've always had a bit of a teacher/student fantasy I've wanted to live out. Do you think he'd actually try something?"_

"_Well, I was just messing around Blaine. I don't actually think—"_

"_What should I wear? I mean, I want to look good if he's interested in me. What do you think would be the easiest and quickest thing to take off me? A t-shirt? But maybe if I wore a button-up, I could do the whole sexy thing where I undo each button slowly?"_

"_Blaine, you can't seriously—"_

"_Should I do some push-ups before I go? I haven't worked out these past few days. I hope he doesn't mind if I'm not in top shape. Do you have any condoms or lube I can—"_

"_Blaine!" Sebastian yelled as he kneeled on the bed and glared at his boyfriend._

"_What?" Blaine asked innocently with a confused look on his face._

"_You can't seriously be…" his voice trailed off and its venom disappeared when he saw Blaine clutching his sides as he stood shaking with laughter. He sat back down in annoyance at being fooled._

"_You should have seen your face," Blaine gasped._

"_That wasn't very funny."_

_Sebastian's words were barely heard due to his mumbling. Blaine's laughter soon died and he returned back to the bed, trying to kiss a resistant Sebastian. They continued their charade for another minute, Blaine trying to kiss and apologize to an annoyed Sebastian who refused to give in. Eventually, Sebastian laughed and flipped Blaine over so that the curly boy was pinned to the bed._

"_Despite your beliefs, you having sex with your teacher is not a funny joke," Sebastian growled._

"_Well then, are you going to make jokes like that in the future?" Blaine returned, wearing a Smythe smirk._

_Sebastian was taken aback, "When did you get so good at that smirk? That's my smirk."_

"_Do you want it back?" _

"_No, keep it," Sebastian said as he leaned down and whispered into Blaine's ear, "it looks sexier on you."_

"Well I'm trying to just organize all these different copies of sheet music. I want there to be some semblance of a system here. I thought maybe you could help since you always seem to be so organized," Mr. Schuester explained.

Blaine nodded. It made sense. It was then that he noticed that his teacher had removed the button up shirt he had been wearing. It was clearly visible hanging over the man's chair. He watched as Mr. Schuester leaned back and stretched his arms, muscles rippling as he yawned. He was a little uneasy when his teacher smiled at him in an unfamiliar way.

"So…is anyone else coming today or is it just us?" Blaine asked, looking around the room and taking note that they were the only ones in the giant auditorium.

"Oh, no it's just us. The entire school is empty," Mr. Schuester answered, the smile still on his face.

"Oh."

"Could you head over to the choir room and grab another stack from my desk? I'll get some music set up for us here. I always enjoy a little music while I work, don't you?" Mr. Schuester said as he stood up and walked around the desk.

"Um…y—yes. Music is always good," Blaine said slowly, cursing Sebastian for putting thoughts in his mind. Nothing was going to happen, right? Surely Mr. Schuester was not the type of man to take advantage of his position as a teacher to seduce a student of his…right? He was almost able to calm his overactive imagination when he felt a hand squeeze his left shoulder. He focused his eyes on the man standing in front of him. Why did Mr. Schuester look so nervous? Why did he have his hand on his shoulder like that?

"Why don't you go ahead, Blaine? I'll get things set up around here," Mr. Schuester said, squeezing Blaine's shoulder again.

The student nodded his head slowly as he backed away and began to walk out of the room. Before he reached the door, he stopped when he heard a voice call out.

"Blaine?"

Blaine turned around to look at his teacher, a giant grin on his face.

"I really want to thank you for coming out today. I know it's not exactly the way you thought you'd spend some of your Christmas break, but I really think you're going to enjoy yourself here."

The color drained from Blaine's face. No, he was just being ridiculous. This was just a teacher asking a student for help, nothing more.

"I'll do my best to make your trip out here worth your while," Mr. Schuster called out before smiling and waving him away.

Blaine quickly turned and exited the room. What was going on? How was it that so many crazy things were happening to him? It was as if his life had become the plot line to some cheesy teen television drama or online fan fiction story. He could just imagine the hordes of people crowded around a screen, eagerly waiting to see what ridiculous scenario could happen next.

He needed to calm down. He needed someone to tell him that he was being irrational and that Mr. Schuester was not trying to seduce him. He pulled out his phone and after unlocking it, proceeded to type out a frantic text message.

— **Glee —**

"What's so funny?" Sebastian asked when Tina laughed after she picked up her cell phone.

"Am I missing something? Why does Blaine think that Mr. Schue's trying to have sex with him?"

Sebastian laughed and then explained their conversation earlier in the day. The two continued to laugh as he told the story.

"I can't believe you got in his head like that," Tina said. "I think he's seriously worried that he's gonna come back and Mr. Schue is gonna be laying naked on the able."

"It wouldn't exactly be the end of the world. Your director's hot. I'd work for an A in his class, if you know what I mean"

"Eww," Tina replied, her face scrunched in disgust, "I can't even look at him like that. He's like a dad to all of us. Him naked is an instant lady-boner killer. Ugh."

Sebastian laughed as he took another sip of water, not wanting to go back to his stool and mic. It was odd how much he enjoyed Tina's company. He found her to be loud and obnoxious in the beginning. He quickly found out that she wasn't completely annoying and that despite her middle-class upbringing, she was actually quite an intelligent person.

"Wait, are you saying that you'd be OK with Blaine hooking up with Mr. Schue…oh…I think I just threw up a little in my mouth…"

Sebastian's mouth felt the tuggings of a small smile: "No. I joke about things like that, but at the end of the day, I don't want anyone even thinking about Blaine like that."

"That's awfully territorial of you," Tina observed.

"Call it what you want, but it's the truth. We were at Scandals one night awhile back and this douche fuck was hitting on Blaine when I came back from the bathroom. I was gone two minutes and there was already some college frat looking dick all over him. We weren't even dating yet, but my first instinct was to smash a bar stool over his head," Sebastian said, his mind going back to that night.

"Yeah, well I think you're going to have to get used to that. Blaine's hot. You both are and I don't think that will ever go unnoticed by other guys, or even girls. You're gonna have to learn to trust him that he won't ever do something like that to you. It's Blaine. He's loyal like a puppy," Tina said, smiling as she reached across the table and grabbed Sebastian's hand.

"I know," he said while looking up and smiling at her, "I get that it's just my jealousy getting the better of me and that Blaine would never do that. It doesn't mean that other people won't try and change that fact."

"You really like him, don't you?" Tina asked.

"Of course," Sebastian answered.

"No, I mean really _really _like him."

Sebastian was silent. That wasn't a question he thought she would ask, at least not this soon. Truth was, he had asked himself that same question and been left with only a short answer.

"You don't have to answer," Tina said being uncharacteristically kind by retracting her metaphorical nose from Sebastian's business. "I know you aren't the best with talking about your feelings and stuff. You're a guy."

Sebastian smiled his thanks for her understanding.

"Tell you what, why don't you go sing a song for Blaine. I'll record it and we can message it to him to try and calm him down."

"Yeah?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, and if you want…you can answer that question that I asked. Tell him how you feel. I think I know what the answer is and I think he'll really like to hear it," Tina said with a knowing smile.

Sebastian smiled shyly, letting the smile reserved only for Blaine to slip out as he turned around and made his way to the stool. He picked up his guitar and sat down on the stool, making sure the mic was on and that he could be heard. He offered the crowd his usual sarcastic remarks that once again went unnoticed. He looked over at the table that Tina was still occupying. He smiled at the phone that she was holding up. He nervously licked his lips, trying to gather the courage to begin playing.

— **Glee —**

Blaine walked into Mr. Schuester's office and immediately spotted the stacks of music on the man's desk. The sight relieved him. He was just being paranoid and allowing Sebastian's words to affect him. Mr. Schuester only wanted him there for help like he said, nothing more. Blaine mentally made a note to throw a pillow at Sebastian later that night for putting such ridiculous thoughts in his mind.

He breathed in deeply as he picked up the papers and turned to leave. He tried to steer his mind from his teacher to something else. He thought of that promised pillow hitting Sebastian in the face. It'd have to wait until after their date, though. A smile caught his lips when he thought back to his conversation with Sebastian earlier that day.

"_So did you have a good time yesterday?" Sebastian asked as he played with Blaine's curls. The smaller boy sighed with contentment._

"_I did. It was the best birthday I've ever had. Thank you Sebastian. It was really amazing," he said and he smiled into Sebastian's chest, thinking back on the day's events…at least those that occurred before they went to Sebastian's house._

"_Better than last year with Hillary Swank?" Sebastian asked trying not to show his lack of confidence. Even though Blaine and Kurt were no longer dating, that didn't mean that the ghost of their relationship didn't bother Sebastian. He thought he was able to fool Blaine, but his actions were unfortunately transparent._

"_Yes, better than my birthday last year with _Kurt._ With _him, _Sebastian. You really don't need to continue to insult him. He's a non-issue now. Don't tell me the Great Sebastian Smythe feels threatened," Blaine cooed._

"_He wishes," Sebastian responded, "the only reason I'd ever be threatened by Chaz Bono is if…if…"_

_Blaine turned to look at Sebastian after a few seconds had passed and he hadn't finished his sentence: "Is if what?"_

"_I don't know," Sebastian answered with a surprised look on his face, "I can't think of anything. I think I've made fun of her so much that I literally used up every insult known to man. I got nothing."_

_Blaine laughed before responding, "Well then I'm sorry for your loss. I guess you'll have to find another hobby. But no, my birthday last year consisted of us going to dinner and then coming back here where he did my nightly skin routine for me since it was my birthday. It was sweet but—"_

"_But gay?" _

"_Sebastian! No, he tried to—"_

"_Make you even gayer?"_

"_No, it wasn't gay, it was—"_

"_Really gay?"_

_Blaine wanted to admonish Sebastian and tell him that he was being unnecessarily rude, but the truth was that he couldn't. He tried to hide his laughter because he felt the same way when Kurt revealed their plans. He'd played along and pretended to enjoy himself because he didn't want to offend Kurt, but honestly, why would anyone want to apply seven different types of moisturizer for their birthday? Moisturizing meant that they couldn't sweat and no sweating meant that there would be no birthday sex for Blaine._

"_Anyway," Blaine said as he swallowed his laughter, "I actually wanted to bring something up to you?"_

"_I'm sorry," Sebastian said right away._

"_What why are you apologizing?"_

"_Oh, I thought I messed up again," he answered._

"_What? No!" Blaine assured, "Although it's nice to know that you're willing to apologize. No Sebastian, you've been amazing. I was just going to say that I realized that we haven't had an actual date night yet."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, we've gone out, but it's either been during the day or other people have been there or I was with Kurt or anything else. It's never just been us for a whole night," he told him as he traced shapes on Sebastian's stomach, loving the way the hard muscle felt beneath his fingertip._

"_So what do you propose?" Sebastian asked._

"_Let me take you out. And when I say let me take you out, I mean let me drive you and pay for you and hold doors open for you. Let me be a gentleman tonight," Blaine said as he gave Sebastian the biggest smile possible._

_The other boy smirked in response, "Only if you promise to be anything but when we get back tonight." His words were accompanied by a hand that slowly started snaking its way down Blaine's chest, brushing past his nipples and down his stomach. Blaine sucked in a breath as a small shudder overtook his body._

"_So pick you up from The Lima Bean?" came Blaine's question in a shaky voice._

"_I'll be sure to wear something sexy."_

Blaine smiled as he made his way down the hall and back to the auditorium. He had one close call with the stack, not seeing a fallen flyer on the floor and almost losing his footing when stepping on it. Thankfully, Blaine was able to regain his balance before he went flying through the air, creating a comical scene that would be punctuated by the stack of paper flying out of his hands and framing the moment.

He walked into the room, noticing immediately that Mr. Schuester was gone. He breathed out a small sigh of relief before shaking his head, telling himself to get a grip, and then walking towards the table with the other papers his teacher had previously been going through. As he set down the papers, he felt two strong hands grab his shoulders and squeeze slightly. His body immediately tensed and he froze where he stood.

"So I hope you don't mind, but I wasn't being completely honest with you earlier Blaine when I asked you here to help me with this music," Mr. Schuester said. Blaine could hear the nerves in his voice. He slowly breathed out and turned around to face the man who was standing much closer to him that he had anticipated.

"W—what do you m—mean Mr. Schue?" Blaine stuttered as he spoke. "Wh—why did you a—ask me to come here?" A million thoughts were racing through his mind, all of which ended with him punching his teacher in the face or feeling ashamed like a Law & Order: SVU guest starring character.

"Well, I have a small surprised that I was asked to help give you. I hope you like it."

Mr. Schuester smiled as he slowly backed away. His sudden retreat pulled Blaine up short. What was happening? What did he mean? Before he could even get the question out of his mouth, the doors to the auditorium were swinging shut behind his teacher and he was once again alone in the room. He stood there, planted in his spot when he heard footsteps coming from his right. He turned his body to the stage and was once again shocked at what he saw. With the turn of events, he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't rather have his teacher try and have sex with him.

"Kurt?"

— **Glee —**

"Hello everyone. I'd just like to thank you all for being possibly one of the worst audiences in existence," Sebastian said as he looked out into the oblivious crowd. The only sign of acknowledgement was Tina's laughter.

"Seriously go screw yourselves," Sebastian delivered a wink to the phone's camera, "I just want to take this opportunity to play a song for someone special. I haven't told him this in words yet, but I think it's a good time to let him know exactly how I feel."

As the words came out of his mouth, he felt all his nerves rise to the surface. This was it. In a few short seconds, he would essentially be laying himself his feelings out on the line. It would be the most vulnerable he had ever been. He took another deep breath before gingerly plucking his guitar strings.

— **Glee —**

"What are you doing here, Kurt?"

There he was, standing in front of him and looking every bit as dashing as he did in Blaine's memory. Kurt Hummel was standing only a few feet away from him, no longer a plane ride away. Blaine had thought that he was past his relationship with Kurt and that they had moved on into friendship territory. The phone calls that they had started were tense at first and beyond awkward, but over time they were able to slowly get back to how things were. It started the day that Blaine and Sebastian had shared their first kiss, with Kurt's call interrupting their first attempt. It wasn't until Blaine called him back later that they began talking again.

"It's Christmas. I came home to spend it with family. What kind of son would I be if I abandoned my family on Christmas?" Kurt asked light-heartedly.

"Right," Blaine corrected himself with a shake of his head, "That makes complete sense."

"Did you think I came back for you?" Kurt asked, his face relaxing, losing its smile, and taking on a much more serious expression.

"I don—"

"Because I did," Kurt interrupted.

"Ex—excuse me?" Blaine asked.

"I mean, yeah, I came back to see my family but I also came back to do whatever I can to get you to forgive me and give me another chance. I'm beyond sorry Blaine. Sorry doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I just…I need you back. I'm miserable without you. I'm not me without you."

Blaine stood still, once again, not knowing what to do. Those words, the words that he had so desperately wanted to hear when they were still together were the words that were just now choosing to make their appearance.

"Why?" Blaine asked, "Why now? What is it about now that makes you suddenly want to—"

"Because I finally found my courage," Kurt said, smiling at the word that had become so important to him since the day Blaine had sent it to him in a text message, "I've missed you since the second you got in that cab and left. I was a wreck afterwards. I knew you were right. I knew you deserved better and I hated myself that I couldn't be enough for you."

"Then why did you disappear?" Blaine asked. It seemed as though everything that had remained unsaid during their months of phone calls was coming out now. The elephant in the room had grown tired of being ignored.

"Why didn't I hear from you for weeks? Where was this courage that took you so long to find? I was devastated, Kurt! If it wasn't for Sebastian, I don't know where I'd be right now!"

"Sebastian," Kurt said the name like a dirty word. He sighed and looked down at the floor.

"I did call you," Kurt continued, "I called you the next day."

"No you didn't," Blaine yelled, "if you had called, then I would ha—"

"Sebastian picked up."

Blaine's rant was cut short by the three words. Sebastian? Why had he never told him? Sebastian never mentioned that Kurt called. He stewed inside. How dare he? How dare he take it upon himself to make that decision? It was Blaine's choice to make, not his. Moments passed as the two stared at one another, each unsure of what to say.

"He told me that you had deleted my number from your phone and that you didn't want to talk to me," Kurt said after a minute of silence, "He said…he said that I had hurt you enough and that I didn't need to hurt you anymore."

The words immediately threw a blanket over Blaine's anger. Sebastian was right. If Blaine had received the call, he very well may have forgiven Kurt and taken him back and who knows how much more damage Kurt's naivety could have inflicted?

"And he was right," Kurt continued, "It wasn't until the biggest asshole in the world told me that I was being an asshole that it sank in. I was horrible to you and I needed to realize that, so I did. I realized that I was being selfish, that I wanted to follow my dreams and that I wanted you to be there next to me, not as a partner helping me through it all, but someone there who was along for the ride and giving me all their time and attention by putting their life on hold. I realized that I was being unfair and inconsiderate. I wanted you to sacrifice your life and who you are just so that I could be happy. That's not how relationships work. We both have to put in our share of work and sacrifice, Blaine. I wasn't doing that."

Blaine could feel tears creeping up, wanting to come out and slide down his cheek. He was doing his best to keep them at bay. How many dreams had he had of this conversation, of Kurt apologizing and truly realizing what he was apologizing for? How many times had he begged the universe or that unknown thing in the sky to show a little mercy and to send Kurt back to him?

He was so torn. This was horrible timing. He couldn't. He shouldn't.

But this was Kurt.

Kurt was his first boyfriend. Kurt was his first love. He was the first boy that ever made him feel special and the first one he ever uttered that four-lettered word to and truly meant it. He was the first boy that Blaine had fully given himself to. He was the one that had helped shape him into the man that he was at that very moment. He was kind and sweet. He was the bullied boy who had been harassed his entire school life, yet still managed to hold his head high and maintain his dignity as he stood up to his aggressors. He was strong and he was beautiful. He was everything that Blaine ever thought he wanted in a partner.

Then his mind flashed to Sebastian and all that the two boys had shared in their short time together. He thought about the soft touches and reassuring smiles that Sebastian would give him. He thought about how it was Sebastian who had been there through everything with him, including his break up with Kurt. He thought about the boy who had held him close, giving him a sense of safety and escape from the world and all the problems it had placed in his life. He thought about the vulnerable little boy who had been abandoned by everyone in his life that should have sheltered and loved him, yet was still able to find it in his heart to take a chance on Blaine and let him in. He was the opposite of what Blaine thought he wanted, but strangely enough, ended up being everything he needed.

He was stuck.

"Kurt…I don't…I mean…this—"

"Don't say anything. You don't need to say anything," he smiled as he reached forward and placed his hand on Blaine's shoulder after closing the distance between them, "I just want you to listen. I wanted to sing you a song."

Blaine smiled, a tear sliding down his cheek as he watched Kurt shrug, obviously feeling very emotional himself.

"I wouldn't be much of a New Directions alumni if I didn't tell you how I felt in a song."

Blaine was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even catch Kurt's grammatical mistake, something very unlike him. He turned his head and watched a sheepish looking Mr. Schuester walk back onto the stage and head towards the piano that had been sitting there the entire time, completely unnoticed by Blaine.

"I hope you don't mind, but I asked Mr. Schue to help me out since Brad wouldn't be here," Kurt explained. He motioned for Blaine to take a seat in one of the chairs in the audience. With a small amount of hesitation, Blaine made his way down the stars from the stage and took a seat in the middle section of the first row.

"I hope this tells you how sorry I am," Kurt said, smiling sadly as he turned to look at his former teacher and nodded.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian breathed out as the first few notes vibrated in the air. He closed his eyes and tried to picture what Blaine would look like, sitting there in front of him. He opened his eyes and directed them to Tina's table. He smiled when he could clearly see a very amused look Blaine sitting next to his best friend. A smile came to Sebastian's lips. This he could do. He could sing to Blaine for days on end.

Soon the entire café drifted away and all that was left was the curly haired boy sitting at the table in front of him.

_I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you._

_Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you._

_I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down,_

_I wanna come too._

_I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you._

Blaine sat in his seat and tears streamed down his face as he watched Kurt sing. The words of the song cut through the air and into Blaine's heart. They brought back memories, such sweet experiences that were dear to his heart. He couldn't stop the emotions as they poured out of him, making his jaw quiver, trying to hold back the sobs. As he watched Kurt sing with that perfect, beautiful voice that he had fallen in love with, he knew his decision. He knew who he had already chosen, not because we wanted to, but because his heart demanded it.

_No one understands me quite like you do,_

_through all of the shadowy corners of me._

_I never knew just what it was _

_about this old coffee shop that I love so much._

_All of the while I never knew._

_I think that possibly maybe I've fallen for you._

_Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you._

_I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine,_

_now I'm shining too._

_Because oh because, I've fallen quite hard over you._

There was a moment as the two boys stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Blaine calmly stood up from his seat and walked up the steps to the stage. As he got closer to Kurt, he couldn't help himself. He lunged forward and grasped the other in a tight embrace. The echoes danced along the walls and ceiling as they continued to hold each other tightly. Their lips moved as they stared into one another's eyes and poured out their hearts.

_If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know._

_If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone._

_I never knew just what it was _

_about this old coffee shop that I love so much._

_All of the while I never knew._

The two boys remained in each others arms, both smile and laughing softly. The curly-haired boy pulled away from the other, taking a step backwards while not letting go of the other, intertwining their hands. With one more gentle squeezing, he leaned forward and placed his lips against the other, sharing a short, sweet kiss. A small smile came to his lips as he waved and walked out of the room.

_I never knew just what it was _

_about this old coffee shop that I love so much._

_All of the while I never knew._

_All of the while…_

_All of the while, it was you._

_You…_

With one final strum of the guitar, Sebastian smiled shyly at the imaginary Blaine, the boy who he had just poured his heart out to, that was sitting at the table before he slowly disappeared and vanished from his sight.

Sebastian smiled.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: First, I would just like to apologize for the delay in getting this out. I'm hoping to get the next one out in a lot less time since it's a bit of a cliffhanger here. I know (…or at least I hope?) that you all want to know what comes next. Secondly, I would like to thank openmymindcomeinside for beta'ing this for me. We've reached an agreement that we'll look over each other's chapters before posting (P.S. Go check out her "I Knew You Were Trouble" Seblaine fic. I'm all about it), so there will be a lot less typos and errors from here on out (and if not, please direct hate mail to her….haha and by her, clearly, I mean Klaine fans…I kid! I kid! *****dodges rotten fruit*****).**

**Secondly, a big THANK YOU to all who reviewed, favorited, or followed this last chapter! If I could give you each a cookie, I would! Big thanks to I-Dream-To-Dream1613, Ireland2112 (I'm gonna laugh if you're actually from Texas or something lol), Mara116, Milka Bernales, OPENMYMINDCOMEINSIDE (WOO HOO!...I'm taking you laser tagging tonight and throwing in that extra service…wink wink), Meaghan123, deadwinds, Klainers34, GraceCale (awesome name!), kendy, Diamond'dst, TheFauxMe, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, BelaGray, brittana5, lissa, badboylover19, RHatch89, Aquaria245, ournoisyhearts, RoseCriss, Miss-A-2000, jjjanimefan, Natasha Dalton, TheChildOfTheTardis, TVTime, Jessie05.12, dragonlady, misutaki, and Yingtia! I know I haven't responded to your reviews yet…that's on the "To-Do List" for tomorrow. I appreciate all the love and critiques!**

**I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. I tried to sneak in that surprise at the end, hopefully that caught a few people off guard? Let me know how this came off. Feel free to erect a shrine in its honor or pee all over it. Reactions in general just really get me going (not like that…shame on you!...) and I love having my email spammed with notifications. So if you can spare a minute or two, please take the time to write a review. Please feel free to be as LONG or brief as you'd like. ;)**

**Once again thanks to you all for sticking with this story. Holy balls you guys, it's 23 chapters, 128k+ words (before this update), and 334 reviews later. What? What is happening? I'm the king of unfinished projects. This is a high point in my life (which is sad…writing gay, Glee fan fiction is a high point…excuse me while I eat my feelings…no that's a lie. I worked out too hard tonight to binge eat. The guilt…)! I think the end is near, also. We should be wrapping things up in a few chapters…I think?**

**I'll put it to you: is there anything you'd like to see happen in this before we call it quits? I'll take it as a personal challenge to fit in all requests.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Sebastian in therapy, find out Kurt's song and get the conversation that went down, and then another performance…I think (if I'm following the plan in my head). **


	24. Realizations Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would just like it to be known that I am not a therapist and I have never been to one. This is my best attempt at writing one based on the limited knowledge I have of them and their profession. Also, please note that "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry is used in this chapter. Personally, I like the Boyce Avenue version of this song. It's the first version I heard (and then I later discovered it was a Katy Perry song…which made me like it a little less…truth lol) of the song and the one I had in my head. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Realizations Part I**

"So what happened?"

Sebastian looked up from the spot on his lap that he had been focusing on. Dr. Tawny, his therapist sat with a patient look on his face as he waited. Sebastian frowned at the sight. Why the hell did that old man have to look so calm? He should be worried. He was old. Shouldn't he fear death or something, considering his age?

"What do you mean what happened?" Sebastian snapped without any hint of courtesy.

The old man only looked down and jotted down a note before continuing, "It seems to me that something is wrong. You're not quite the same as you have been our last few sessions. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Sebastian digested the question. Was there anything he wanted to talk about?

Yes.

He wanted to talk about his father. He wanted to talk about how the man that helped give him life just kicked him out of his house. He wanted to talk about how he felt abandoned and how he was doing his best to come to terms with what happened. He wanted to talk about how he was about to spend his very first Christmas officially alone. He wanted to talk about how he suddenly had a home that he alone was responsible for. He wanted to talk about how he no longer had a cook or maid and was somehow expected to take care of himself when he was never taught how to actually do that. He wanted to talk about his brother who had been coming to mind more than normal, as he usually did around the holidays. He wanted to talk about how much it hurt to think that he was truly alone and without family. He wanted to talk about the fact that Nick and Tina had left him numerous emails, text messages, and voicemails since the previous afternoon. He wanted to talk about how odd it felt to have people that seemed to genuinely care for him even though they barely knew him. He wanted to talk about the fact that in a few short months, he would graduate from Dalton and begin college life at Columbia in New York City.

But mostly, he wanted to talk about Blaine. He wanted to talk about how hard it was for him to actually put himself out there and admit his feelings to himself. He wanted to talk about how hard it was to allow himself to trust another person that deeply, to make himself that vulnerable. He wanted to talk about how frightening it was to actually say how he felt out loud, in public, and to Tina, Blaine's best friend. He wanted to talk about how much it hurt when Blaine showed up and told him about Kurt.

Sebastian winced as he turned his head away from the imaginary pain that was in front of him. His frown, which had been a permanent fixture on his features ever since the previous afternoon, darkened even more.

"No."

"Ok, well why don't you tell me about how your singing has been going at that café? I know we thought that it might be a good activity for you to learn how to express yourself a bit better. Has that seen any progress?" Dr. Tawny asked after jotting down a few notes.

"It's fine."

The doctor made a noise as he nodded his head and wrote down even more words before looking up again and regarding Sebastian with a careful expression: "And school? How are your studies going? Has anything new happened at school? You're about halfway done with your senior year. Do you have any thoughts about that?"

Sebastian shrugged without any emotion, "It's fine."

"And Nick? Last session, you talked about how the two of you were planning a possible trip to New York City during your break to visit your schools for next year and how you wanted to look at apartments for you to share. Were you able to finalize any plans for the trip?"

"No," Sebastian said, flicking at imaginary lint on his pant leg.

A sudden feeling of guilt filled him with which he was completely uncomfortable. Nick had tried talking to him about the trip, but when the first break-up with Blaine occurred, Sebastian had ignored him. They had meant to talk about it again once school let out, but then his current break-up with Blaine had occurred. Maybe Nick was bad luck? Maybe they should never talk about the stupid trip ever again. Who knows what else might happen? What else was left? Maybe Hummel would shoot him…

"Why don't you tell me how things are going with you and Blaine?" Dr. Tawny prompted, making a few more notes on his pad.

Sebastian's shell of indifference cracked as he eyes snapped to the man and narrowed, "I don't want to talk about _him_ right now," he hissed.

"And why is that?" was the doctor's calm reply.

"Because it's my fucking prerogative, that's why. I don't have to talk about anything that I don't want to. Last time I checked, I can do whatever I want. I pay you, don't I?"

The doctor studied him for a few seconds before making a noise in his throat and turning back to his paper and writing a few more notes. The repeated action was driving Sebastian crazy and to the brink of getting up and storming out.

"And what do you keep writing? The fuck!? I've given you one-word answers this entire time but you've already turned to a new page two times with your notes. What could you possibly be writing? What? Are you writing 'Sebastian is fucking crazy. He should be institutionalized because he was stupid enough to trust some liar and a cheater' or something? Although, hey, why not? I mean I've been a dick all my life. I guess it's only fitting that I get screwed over when I think I've actually met someone who might be worth all of this. But can I really be that angry? I started dating a guy who tried to get me to fuck him while he was still dating his ex-boyfriend. Look! This is how fucking pissed I am! I fucking called Hummel a boy! This is why I don't do dating. This is why I just fuck guys and then leave after I'm done. I don't want to deal with this 'emotions' shit. I get off and then I take off. I don't want to sit here in some office with some old fuck who gets paid $200 an hour or whatever just so that he can look at me like I'm some pathetic loser who can't walk five feet without someone else bailing on him!"

Sebastian's breathing was heavy as he loosened his fists that he was balling. He hadn't even realized that he was squeezing so hard. He noticed a small scratch on the inside of his left palm that his nail had made from the clenching. He had lost control. He hated losing control. Within the span of a few breaths, Sebastian was able to rein in his anger and calm his body.

"Is that what you think of him?"

"What?" Sebastian asked as he let himself fall backwards into the cushion once again.

"Blaine. You described him as someone who, and I'm doing my best to remember your exact wording, 'a guy who wanted you to fuck him while he was dating someone else' and then you also used the terms 'liar' and 'cheater.'" The doctor looked up from his note pad.

Sebastian squirmed in his seat. He hadn't even realized he'd spoken of Blaine in that way. Guilt once again flooded him. As angry as he was, the voice in his head refused to let him hold his bitterness too long. Blaine had made mistakes, yes, but it wasn't anything that he, Sebastian, didn't deserve. Sebastian had a long collection of red marks in his morality ledger that overshadowed any small deeds that Blaine may have committed.

"No," Sebastian mumbled, "and sorry about the 'old fuck' comment," he muttered. He frowned again when the doctor simply nodded his head and made some more notes. Seriously?

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"It's just interesting how you ended your outburst. We both know this wasn't your first display of anger in that seat, Sebastian. The only difference between today's and previous examples was the apology at the end. It seems you felt guilty about insulting Blaine and me, and you felt the need to apologize. You've never done that before," the man explained while readjusting his glasses.

"I didn't think about that," Sebastian said as he looked up from the seat.

"That's why you pay me the '$200 an hour or whatever,' as you put it." The man's gentle smile grew even larger when he saw the small smirk on Sebastian's face. "So now that we've established that something is clearly bothering you, why don't you tell me about it. Start with Blaine. What happened there?"

Sebastian sighed, running his hands through his hair. He had walked into the room, fully intending on just sitting and pissing off his therapist. He needed to get someone angry. School was out, so that meant Jeff and his weak psyche were out of the question. He chewed his bottom lip as he debated whether or not he should indulge the man and talk about what had happened with Blaine. After a few minutes of deliberating, while the good doctor waited patiently in his seat, Sebastian finally leaned forward and situated his elbows on his knees.

"Well, it happened yesterday at The Lima Bean, after I finished my set. I was hanging out with his…our, I guess, friend Tina and we were talking…"

"_Has he responded yet?" Sebastian asked, trying to school his excitement, as he approached the table._

_Tina looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. The look on her face caused Sebastian to halt his actions, making him hover over his seat, afraid as though it might explode into a million pieces if he even moved an inch._

"_What's wrong?" he asked._

_Tina opened her mouth a few times before finally finding her voice, "Umm…he…well he…he did respond."_

_Sebastian slowly lowered himself completely onto the seat, "Why do you say it like that? What'd—what'd he…say?"_

"_I…I wouldn't normally show you this, but…but you're my friend too now and I feel like you should probably know…" Tina said as he extended her shaky arm and presented him with her phone._

Blaine: Hey, I can't open the video that you sent me. I think something went wrong? Is that Sebastian in the thumbnail?

Blaine: But I'm burying the lead. We need to talk! I have plans tonight with Sebastian, but I need to talk to you first. I saw Kurt. I saw him and we talked. It was really amazing, Tina. I'm not sure how to tell Sebastian about this…I need your help. Where are you?

_Sebastian lifted his eyes from the screen and looked up at a pair of eyes containing the most amount of pity he had ever seen. He frowned and looked back at the screen while texting a reply to Blaine of where she was._

"_He's getting back together with that…that THAT, isn't he?" Sebastian spat?_

"_Sebastian…I don't…I don't know. Maybe we're just jumping to conclusions. Maybe there's an explanation to those texts?" she said, reaching across and trying to hold his hand._

_Sebastian ripped his hand away from her reach. They sat at their table in silence for the next 15 minutes, neither moving a muscle. Sebastian had no idea what was going through Tina's mind, but all he could think about was how stupid he was. How could he have been so careless as to allow himself to feel anything for Blaine. He was stupid. Blaine was stupid. Hummel was stupid. The entire situation was fucking stupid._

_Fuck everything._

_After what felt like an eternity, Sebastian saw Blaine's form turn the corner, eyes scanning the crowd. He saw the look of surprise and fear in his eyes when he spotted their table._

_Fear._

_Sebastian steeled himself for what was about to happen. He stood up slowly, grabbing his jacket and guitar case, and walked up to the shorter boy who seemed to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot._

"_Hey," he offered weakly, "I didn't know you'd be here."_

_Nothing. He was going to pretend as if nothing was wrong. Sebastian felt physically sick at how angry he was. How could he just stand there as if nothing had been done? How could he so easily do that to him?_

"_Well I guess it seems as though we're both experiencing a few surprises today," Sebastian spit out, voice laced with obscene amounts of malice._

"_W—what do you mean?" came Blaine's stuttered response. _

"_Well, I mean you were surprised that I'm here, right? That's gotta be terribly inconvenient for you, such a shame," Sebastian said, making a patronizing sound, "And me? Well, imagine my surprise when I found out that you saw _Kurt_ today and had to read about how _magical_ it was!"_

_It looked as though all the blood had drained for Blaine's face. Sebastian struggled with his feelings in that moment. Half of him cheered and got off on the sight of the effect of his words. He basked in his verbal triumph. The other half of him winced in pain. Regardless of what Blaine did, it didn't change his feelings for the gel-addicted boy. He was still his boyfriend. He was still the boy whose arms he craved to be held within. _

_He watched as Blaine blinked, opening and closing his mouth a few times, clearly caught off guard. _

"_Tell me I'm wrong, Blaine. Tell me I'm just being a crazy, jealous boyfriend right now and that there's nothing I need to be freaking out about right now," Sebastian whispered earnestly. _

_Blaine seemed to snap out of it in that moment, "No! Sebastian, no. You don't—"_

"_Oh god," Sebastian breathed out and began laughing, __"you had…I just, I'm sorry…I was actually going a little crazy there for a second," Sebastian choked out as he stood up straight, a ridiculous smile on his face. "When I saw Tina's text, I…well, I automatically went to Crazyville and thought that you were getting back together with her."_

"_Oh, no," Blaine quickly added, feeling a smile start to spread on his own lips._

"_I'm sorry. I should have given you more credit than that," Sebastian's head shaking as he spoke through his light laughter, "I mean, in my head you went over and you just saw each other and then started making out or wha—"_

_Sebastian stopped speaking when he saw the change in his boyfriend. It was as if Blaine's smile had broken instantaneously. He looked like he was in pain. Sebastian's breath caught in his throat. That look. It was a look of guilt, a look that a child wore when their parent caught them misbehaving. All the thoughts and worries that Sebastian had just pushed out of his mind came flooding back in with a renewed vigor. He opened his mouth to speak, to beg Blaine to say that he was once again jumping to conclusions. He wanted to plead with the shorter boy that nothing had happened, that he wasn't about to be disappointed once more._

_Neither boy said a word. They stood there, staring at each other, communicating without speaking. Silence filled the chasm between them, but their eyes spoke volumes. Sebastian's pleaded and Blaine's apologized, refusing to make contact._

_After what felt like an eternity, but had only in fact been a few seconds, Sebastian rushed passed the shorter boy, almost knocking him over in his desperate attempt to escape the café, to escape him._

"So I left," Sebastian said quietly, pulling himself out of the memory.

"Have you spoken to Blaine since the incident? Have you given him a chance to explain himself?" the doctor asked.

"No," his head snapped up in anger, "he had a chance. His chance was to not stick his tongue down that drag queen's throat. It's not like it's a lot to ask. If you saw what his ex looked like, you'd understand that you'd actively have to force yourself to even touch him."

"But didn't you say that Blaine has given you second chances before after you've made a mistake?"

"This is different," Sebastian argued, "I didn't cheat. I didn't touch anyone. I was just fucking things up because I don't know how this whole dating thing works. It's completely different."

"Maybe this is different for Blaine?" Dr. Tawny suggested while making some more notes.

"What? Cheating?"

"No," he explained, "but dealing with an ex while dating someone else may be a new experience for him. It's possible that he's never been in a situation where he's felt pulled by two different people. And furthermore, he told you that he wasn't not getting back together with…Kurt," he said after checking his notes for the name.

"Meaning?" Sebastian asked, clearly unimpressed with the man's working theory.

"Meaning that the kissing may not be what you think it means. It may not even be a 'make out,' as you put it. Perhaps it was innocent."

"Or perhaps this is just a waste of my time," Sebastian glared.

"Experiences are only as valuable as we decide them to be, Sebastian," Dr. Tawny offered.

"Well," Sebastian said, his old smirk returning, "are you saying that I don't have to pay for this session if I don't find it to be valuable?"

"You could decide not to, but then I'd had to diagnose you as being delusional."

Sebastian laughed.

— Glee —

"Hey Blainers," Sam said as he flung open Blaine's bedroom door.

"Sam!" Blaine yelled, eyes wide in surprise.

"Whoa, did I scare you or something?"

"No…yes, I mean…don't you ever knock? How'd you even get in here?" Blaine said, closing the his laptop as he leaned backwards into his bed's headboard.

"Your mom let me in. When they'd get back by the way? It feels like they've been MIA for the past forever," Sam responded while unceremoniously plopping down on the bed.

Blaine uncomfortably moved his feet away from Sam's body, making sure that the computer remained covering his lap. "They got in this morning. They wanted to be sure that we could spend Christmas together."

Sam snorted, "Right, because they wouldn't be good parents if they left you alone on Christmas. All other days are fair game though, right?"

Blaine smiled. His friends knew about his situation with his parents. They knew that Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were seldom home, usually coming back every couple of weeks for a few days before flying out for another business trip, a conference, or another vacation. Before his friendship with Sebastian, Sam and Tina usually took turns keeping Blaine company. The rest of the Glee club often went out, but Sam and Tina took it upon themselves to make sure Blaine didn't go crazy living in his parents' large house by himself. Numerous video game marathons had been played on the large television in Blaine's room by him, Sam, and sometimes Artie or Joe, though Joe would often refuse to play the more violent games ("I just feel like Jesus wouldn't want me to kill those little alien dudes. What kind of Christian love would that be?"). When Tina would spend the night, they usually busied themselves with DVDs that always fulfilled two criteria: 1) There had to be a couple in love with a happy ending and 2) At least one hot guy had to be shirtless at some point.

"Pretty much," Blaine responded to Sam's dig at his "loving" parents with a nervous laugh, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Yeah, I just…Dude, what's wrong?" Sam asked, noticing the odd behavior of his friend.

"What? N—nothing. Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Why would you ask if something's wrong when clearly I'm fine and normal? I mean, that doesn't make any sense. I make sense because I'm normal. Maybe you're the weird one. Maybe you're weird and just trying to make me look weird when really you're being weird. What's wrong with you? Maybe you're the one who's hiding something! Maybe—maybe you robbed a bank or something and you're just pretending that I'm weird so that no one will ask about you. Huh? What about that?" Blaine's came out so quickly that they barely made sense. As soon as he was able to hear his own voice, Blaine realized how crazy he sounded.

Very.

Both boys sat frozen. Sam stared at Blaine as if he had just said that Jar Jar Binks was possibly the best Star Wars character ever written: "Sooo…that was weird."

Blaine averted his eyes from Sam's, nervously trying to think of an explanation for his strange behavior.

Sam then noticed the laptop sitting on Blaine's lap, "Oh, sweet. Hey, lemme borrow your computer real quick. I saw this video on YouTube that you—"

"No!" Blaine screamed, hands flying towards the computer on his lap and gripping it tightly.

Both boys froze once again, unsure of what had just happened.

"I mean," Blaine continued, "I mean it's…umm…it's broken."

Sam furrowed his eyebrows in a confused frown, an expression not completely foreign to him, "Seriously Man, you're acting reall—"

He stopped when he finally put the pieces together. Blaine had slammed his laptop shut as soon as he walked in. He moved away from him when he sat on the bed. He wouldn't let him grab his computer to watch that awesome video about the girl dancing on the coffee table before falling…which really was awesome. He would have laughed to himself if he hadn't just caught his friend.

"Dude!" Sam yelled, "You were looking at dude porn, weren't you!?"

The color of Blaine's face couldn't even be described with the color red. It had transcended the level of redness and had moved on to some undiscovered color that had not yet been indentified in the known world. It was as if Red's older, steroid-filled brother made a pact with the devil for super powers and then joined forces with Chuck Norris to be an all-powerful being. _That_ was the color of Blaine's face.

"N—no…I wasn't. I was just looking at my horoscope!" Blaine protested, immediately regretting his words, because honestly…his horoscope?

Sam laughed and began bouncing on the bed, teasingly reaching out as if he was going to grab the laptop and causing Blaine to hold onto the device with a death grip.

"Admit it Blainers, you were about to beat off to dudes who are all '_Oooh yeah, Baby…yeah…take it like a real…_uhh…_a real_...umm…_a real…dude or whatever.'_" The wind in Sam's sails disappeared when he realized that he didn't in fact know anything about man on man pornography.

"Well it's reassuring to know that you really are straight and that you don't secretly watch gay porn," Blaine said, willing his face to return to normal.

Sam shrugged, before plastering his grin back on his abnormally large lips, "So you admit it?"

"I admit nothing," Blaine frowned, trying to maintain any dignity that he had left.

"So then what's that bottle of lube doing, sitting on your table?" the blonde asked, a playful twinkle in his eye.

"Blaine's eyes grew so large that they threatened to pop out of their sockets. His head whipped to his left only to see a side table with nothing but his phone and an alarm clocking sitting on it. His closed his eyes in defeat when he heard Sam cackling from his spot on the bed.

"You were saying?" came Sam's voice mockingly, "and how can you be checking your horoscope if your laptop's broke?"

Blaine grumbled something about Sam choosing that moment to finally be observant. Sam simply flashed him a victorious grin.

"So what are you even doing here?" Blaine asked, openly displaying his annoyance with his friend.

"Whoa Bro, way cold," Sam said, nudging his friend's foot and smiling at the uncomfortable look on Blaine's face at the touch. "Come on, for real. Put the boner away, I wanna talk to you about Sebastian."

"The boner went away the second you walked in," Blaine lied. Despite how close the two were and how he considered Sam to be the brother he always wished he had growing up (Cooper was great, but they had only recently started getting along), that didn't negate the fact that Sam was beyond hot. Blaine couldn't help his stupid teenage hormones.

"Yeah right Bro, I'm gorgeous," Sam teased while propping his hands behind his head and leaning back onto the mattress, purposely flexing his biceps.

Blaine rolled his eyes at the display after quickly appreciating Sam's muscles, of course. "Why do you want to talk about Sebastian?"

"Why do you think?" Sam responded.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Blaine asked Sam, unwilling to make this uncomfortable conversation easy for his friend.

"Oh, well I actually don't know…" Sam admitted quietly, sitting up and propping himself on his elbows, "Tina texted me and told me that I needed to come over and talk to you about Sebastian. I was kinda hoping that you'd just talk and I'd figure it out from there…"

Blaine smiled as Sam's words trailed off and he looked around the room nervously, as if Tina might pop out from under Blaine's bed and yell at him for not doing it correctly. While Tina was one of the nicest people Blaine knew, she was also fiercely protective of those she cared about and would no doubt give Sam a severe tongue lashing for not performing the task of caring friend adequately. He appreciated the effort put forth by his friends, but he felt the weight of the situation descend upon him again when Sam said Sebastian's name. He felt horrible. How could a moment that should have been so happy turn into something so horrible?

"Look Sam, I appreciate you wanting to help, really, it's very nice and considerate of you, but—"

"Uh, no but's Dude," Sam interrupted, "Tina will bust a nut if she finds out that I let you talk me outta talking to you."

"And you're just doing this because Tina told you to?" Blaine asked, slightly offended that Sam was in his room solely because of an obligation and not because of consideration.

"No Man," the hurt look on Sam's face increased the feeling of guilt dwelling in Blaine tenfold, "I'm here 'cause I'm actually worried about you. Tina said something happened with him at The Lima Bean. She told me to come over and stuff, but I mean, I don't want you being all down and stuff. What happened?"

Blaine breathed in deeply. The truth was, he _did_ want to talk about it. He had clammed up the moment Sebastian had walked away from him. His privacy and loneliness were at odds within him, both fighting to be heard by his mind. In the end, it was his loneliness that won.

"Well, it actually started before I got to The Lima Bean. It started when I went to school yesterday to help Mr. Schue. He called me and asked me to come in to help him."

"To help him? He didn't call me. Was it just you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"Bow chica wow wowwww," Sam sang as he thrust his hips into the air.

Blaine laughed and shook his head, "You're just like Sebastian."

"I knew I liked that guy," Sam grinned. "So what happened?"

Blaine hesitated, maybe he shouldn't say? He looked at Sam carefully. He knew he could trust the boy. Sam had only ever been kind to him. Maybe he was the perfect person to talk to? As much as he loved Tina and considered her his best and closest friend, she was a woman with opinions. She never made Blaine feel judged, but she'd definitely make her thoughts known. Sam was different. Sam was a listener. He had this ability to take in what you said, understand your feelings on the matter, and then just be supportive without giving you unwanted advice or passing any judgments. Sometimes Blaine wondered why he never had a crush on his friend. Sam really was the perfect guy, though those thoughts were beside the point and for another time. He breathed out and then grimaced as he started to speak.

"Well…Kurt was there."

"What!?"

_Blaine leaned back uneasily in his seat as he heard familiar music fill the almost-empty auditorium. He smiled sadly at the familiarity. Kurt always knew that Blaine couldn't help but love a Katy Perry song. He was at once haunted by the memory of the first time he heard the song. He had been sitting in his car with Kurt, having just bought the CD. He remembered turning to Kurt and saying with a smile how happy he was that they'd never have to live the lyrics of the song. How had things changed so drastically?_

_He looked at Kurt and felt more tears forming in his eyes. He made no move to wipe them away, frozen in his spot by the sight of Kurt and the music coming out of him._

Summer after high school when we first met,

We made out in your mustang to Radiohead,

And on my 18th birthday we got matching tattoos.

_Blaine immediately looked down at the small rub on tattoo on the back of his hand. He rubbed it absentmindedly and turned back to watch Kurt sing._

Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof,

Talk about our future like we had a clue.

Never planned that one day I'd be losing you.

_Blaine's heart began to break as the tears started falling freely down his cheeks. That look on Kurt's face, the look of utter desperation cut through him like a knife. He hated that look. He remembered that look. That was the same look that Kurt wore when Dave was bullying him. It was the same look he wore when he'd talk about the comments he'd hear at school about "that faggy kid." It was how he looked when he felt helpless._

In another life I would be your girl.

We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world.

In another life I would make you stay,

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away,

The one that got away.

"_Us against the world," Blaine sang along with him. He remembered that phrase. It was what they always told each other, that no matter what or who tried to hold them back, they'd always be there for the other. He remembered saying those words to Kurt when he was in New York, how he had turned them into an accusation instead of a solemn promise._

I was June and you were my Johnny Cash.

Never one without the other, we made a pact.

Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on.

Someone said you had your tattoo removed,

Saw you downtown singing the Blues.

It's time to face the music, I'm no longer your muse.

In another life I would be your girl.

We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world.

In another life I would make you stay,

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away,

The one that got away.

_It was as if Blaine was reliving every moment that he had ever spent with Kurt. He remembered the first day they met at Dalton. He remembered ever laugh or cry, every joyful moment and sorrow. He remembered the feel of Kurt's smooth skin the first time they shared a bed together. He remembered how much his hand shook with nerves and excitement. He remembered feeling perfect._

All this money can't buy me a time machine

Can't replace you with a million rings

I should've told you what you meant to me

'Cause now I pay the price

_He then remembered the pain of their separation. He remembered how Kurt had disappeared on him and had chosen to forge his destiny alone. He remembered feeling as if he was unworthy of the future that Kurt pictured for himself. He remembered feeling unwanted and undesirable. He remembered feeling alone._

_Then he remembered meeting Sebastian._

In another life I would be your girl.

We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world.

In another life I would make you stay,

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away,

The one that got away.

The one.

The one.

The one.

In another life I would make you stay,

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away,

The one that got away.

_By the end of the song, both boys were crying, slaves to their emotions, proverbial waves being tossed by a force outside their control. Kurt cried for the love that he had lost and desperately wished he could win back. Blaine wept for the love that he had walked away from and the decision before him. He thought of the two boys he deeply cared about: one he had loved, and still loved, and the other that he was quickly falling in love with._

_Blaine sat, watching Kurt as he stood on the stage._

"_So what did you think?" Kurt asked shyly, almost as if he was having second thoughts on what he had just done._

_Blaine didn't answer, he just continued sitting. He couldn't. He knew the words that he wanted to say, needed to say, but his heart feared what they would mean when he finally said them. He watched as the confidence in Kurt's eyes disappeared more and more. He stood up and slowly made his way onto the stage. With each step, Blaine could feel his lips quivering from his nervousness. His breathing intensified and he wondered how in the world Kurt wasn't alarmed by the thundering of his heart in his chest, threatening to crash through his skin._

_As he grew closer, Blaine's instincts took over and he closed the last few feet of distance in a sprint. He launched himself into his former lover's arms that were held open in surprise and relief. Appearances and formalities were thrown out the window as the two boys desperately held onto the other as if life was threatening to tear them apart forever._

"_Kurt," Blaine sobbed, his face red and hot, his eyes peeking over Kurt's shoulder as they let out a steady stream of salty emotions._

"_Blaine, oh Blaine…I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry I ever took you for granted. I'm sorry I ever made you feel like you weren't the most important person in my life. I love you. I love you so much and I promise that you won't regret this. I promise that I'll be better this time. I promise that…I…"_

_His words faded away from his lips when he saw the look on Blaine's face. Blaine was crying. He was crying too, but Blaine's tears were different. He saw the way Blaine's eyes didn't have that light in them like they usually did. He saw the way his lip was shaking slightly. He saw the way Blaine was shaking his head slightly._

_Blaine felt the world crash down around him for the hundredth time that year._

"_Kurt…" he whispered, not by choice but by force, "I…I don't…I'm sorry…"_

_He was unable to find the words needed. He, Blaine Anderson, the boy who was never without a witty quip or a sage word of advice was unable to tell the boy in front of him that the love he felt wasn't enough anymore._

"_It's fine," Kurt croaked. Blaine could see Kurt trying to hold in his disappointment. He could see the forced smile on his face as he nodded his head. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different. The way you've talked about Sebastian over the past few months…I guess…I guess I just hoped that I hadn't waited too long to say anything."_

_His words made Blaine stop and think: what if that's all it was? Timing? He knew how he felt about Sebastian, he knew that his heart chose the Warbler, but was it just because Kurt had waited too long? If this scene had taken place three chapters earlier in the story of his life, would he still be saying no?_

_All wonderings were ceased when Blaine caught sight of the tattoo on the back of his hand. He smiled despite himself, thinking back to his birthday and all that Sebastian had done and what had almost happened. He didn't know what might have happened and he never would. What he did know was that in that very moment, he chose Sebastian, or more appropriately, Sebastian was chosen for him. It was a decree of his heart that he had no intention of fighting._

"_He gave that to you, didn't he?" came Kurt's small voice, accompanied by a soft sniffling._

_Blaine looked up and nodded his head, his smile turning back to one of sadness._

"_I'm never going to understand that, you know," Kurt said, "You and S…you and him, you know."_

_Blaine held his smile, "I know…and to be honest, I don't think I ever will either." A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he ducked his head down momentarily before bringing it back up and meeting Kurt's eyes._

"_Does he make you happy, Blaine?" The questions sounded painful, as if Kurt's lips rejected the idea of its existence. He watched as Kurt, his sweet and caring Kurt, did his best to mask the emotions that he was surely feeling deep down inside._

"_Yes," Blaine responded without even thinking. He was taken aback by his ready reply._

"_He drives me crazy and makes me question if it's all worth it sometimes," he continued with another small chuckle, "but…yes…he makes me very happy Kurt."_

_He could see the war on Kurt's face. He knew Kurt wanted to say more, probably wanting to ask if it was the same type of happy that they shared, but in the end thought better of it. Instead, Kurt forced another smile, this one looking much more genuine (but still leaving a question of doubt in Blaine's mind)._

"_Then I'm happy for you, Blaine."_

_The statement was quiet, softer than a whisper. Despite the small amount of words, Blaine understood everything that it meant. He sighed in relief, knowing that Kurt wanted to be as supportive as possible. He watched as Kurt's smile started to reach his eyes, slowly lighting them from within._

_He took a step back, holding onto the other's boys hands and truly looked at him. He'd never seen Kurt look so handsome. He'd seen the boy countless times before, but the fact that he was standing there with a smile on his face, sharing his joy in the fact that Blaine had found someone else…it was almost too much for Blaine to handle. The tears carving their way down his cheek serviced as proof. The image in front of him, how Kurt looked, Blaine knew that the boy would never be more beautiful than he was in that moment. He knew it for a fact, and he thanked the universe for letting him experience that moment._

"_I should probably get back to him now," Blaine said, returning the smile._

"_Before you go…" Kurt paused, "…could I…well—"_

"_Of course," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's hand slightly. He knew the question that was unasked. Their time apart did nothing to sever their connection. He smiled as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the other boy's lips. It was a kiss that lasted for the briefest of seconds. It was the same, yet different. It was still Kurt's soft, velvety lips, fragile as if they might break if he pressed too hard. He remembered that sensation, the one he always had when kissing Kurt. It was the same set of lips, yet the kiss was different. It didn't hold the same meaning in his heart anymore. It was a kiss that belonged to another person, another time._

_Blaine pulled back slightly, still smiling as he let his grip on Kurt's hands loosen. The moment their touch stopped, Blaine knew it was an official parting. It was the closure that he had needed that night in New York, the only difference being that he was leaving Kurt with a smile. He waved slightly and smiled even brighter when Kurt returned the gesture and whispered a "goodbye."_

_Blaine made his way off the stage and through the auditorium doors, anxious to see Sebastian and tell him how he felt. He would tell him that he was falling in love with him. His pace quickened at the thought of what they would soon share._

— Glee —

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: And another chapter come and gone! I hope you all enjoyed it at least somewhat. There was some Klaine action going on. I did that for the Kurt fans here. Hopefully I did the character some justice and gave them an ok parting. So what'd you think? I personally was a little worried about the ending being a little too heavy on the sentimentality, but my beta didn't say anything, so I figure I'd just go with what I wrote. Let me know your thoughts! So this is almost coming to an end. We just have the second half of this in the next chapter and then the epilogue after that. It's been an awesome time doing this. I hope you've all enjoyed it.**

**I'm in a bit of a hurt so I'm not able to list everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed this since last chapter, but THANK YOU to all of you! You guys rock. I know I'm behind on responding to reviews, but it's been a little hectic for me here. I figured you'd rather have a new chapter first. I promise to catch up on those! And speaking of, last chapter had the most reviews thus far, so thank you!**

**Just a note, I plan on continuing writing after this is done. I wanted to put it to you. I have two ideas floating in my head for possible stories:**

**A Seblaine fic that is VERY AU because it centers around Sebastian being a CIA agent on the run who because he's been set up to look like a traitor and ends up taking Blaine with him. They'll try to figure out who framed him to clear his name. It'd be my attempt at writing an action/thriller story (blame my Alias marathon I had the other week). **

**A Blam fic where Sam and Blaine meet one summer at a music camp at OSU or some nearby college and start a bit of a romance. The story would take place though at the first day of senior year when Blaine goes to his first glee rehearsal and meets the new student teacher who's helping Will: Sam. Pretty much goes from there.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: More reactions, some Nick, maybe some Tina, and then Sebastian and Blaine finally get things straight (no pun intended). **


	25. Realizations Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's here! The wait is over! Holy balls, it has been a craptastic couple of weeks, so I do apologize for the looong delay. Let's all be thankful that Monday was a holiday and I had no school (students are the only ones who count down to days off). Also, please go YouTube Jason Castro's "You Can Always Come Home" and Ingrid Michaelson's "Can't Help Falling In Love". Both are fantastic songs and both are included in this chapter. You know my usual opinion: it's best to play the songs as you read the scenes or at least have them in your head. Blah blah blah…**

**DISCLAIMER: STILL don't own these characters. You'd think that after all these chapter's that'd change…alas…no dice.**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Realizations Part II**

"You need to let go of this, Tina," Mike said with a sigh from his spot on the bed. "You're driving yourself crazy over something that isn't even your fault."

Tina Cohen-Chang had spent the entire afternoon pacing and worrying over the status of Blaine and Sebastian's relationship. She had been talking non-stop about the incident at The Lima Bean at, and not with, Mike. Despite his best efforts to calm her nerves and debunk the fears she had, she was still convinced that it was entirely her fault.

"You weren't there Mike, you didn't see—"

"I don't need to have been there to know that this was something beyond your control," his quiet, calm voice traveled across the room. He stood up and moved to stand behind his girlfriend, placing his hands comfortingly on her shoulders and stilling her movements.

"But—"

"Is Blaine your best friend?"

"Yes," she answered with an annoyed sigh.

"Do you love him and want nothing but happiness for him?"

"Of course I d—"

"Do you honestly like Sebastian and think he is good for Blaine?" Mike asked, cutting Tina off.

"I do," she responded.

"And did you show him the text because you wanted to betray Blaine or you wanted to hurt either of them?"

"No," Tina said, turning around and glaring at her boyfriend for even suggesting the idea.

"Are you sure? Because showing him that text wasn't exactly the best move, Tina. It kinda looks like you _wanted_ them to brea—"

"No, I showed Sebastian that text because he's my friend now too. I love Blaine, but that doesn't mean that I have to agree with everything he does. I know Sebastian doesn't handle surprises well and I thought that it might help him deal with whatever Blaine was going to say better! I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I did it. I even tried to tell him that maybe we were reading Blaine's message without the whole story or that we were wrong, or whatever. I did! It ended up being a stupid move that I already apologized for, but you don't get to stand there and try to make it sound like I don't care about Blaine or that I wanted this to happen!"

Tina was fuming as she glared at her boyfriend, her finger pointing in his face to express her anger, just as Cooper had showed them that day during the acting class he taught. She was about to tear into him again when she was momentarily stopped by the wide grin that appeared on his face. The sight only fueled to anger her more.

"I don't know what you think is so funny, but yo—"

"Calm down," Mike soothed as he took a step forward and grabbed the accusing finger and held it in his hand. "Of course I don't want to insinuate anything like that. I don't believe anything I just said Tina, but I wanted to show you that deep down, neither do you."

Tina blinked.

Mike had tricked her. Why did he have to be so much smarter than her? Mike's maturity and intelligence were usually qualities that she adored in her boyfriend, but at that moment, they served to really piss her off. Whatever happened to being able to wallow in one's self-pity?

"You know, you coulda just let me complain a little more," Tina pouted before smiling as Mike pulled her into his chest.

The tall boy smiled as he squeezed her gently, taking in the smell of her shampoo, "I'm sorry. Next time I'll let you complain all you'd like. I'll even nod and mumble encouraging sounds when you look at me as if you're right."

"Thanks," she whispered with a smile, though it began to falter as she thought back to what had happened after Sebastian had stormed out of the coffee shop.

_Tina watched as Sebastian shoved his way past Blaine and around the corner, out of sight. As soon as he was gone, she leapt from her seat and rushed to his friend._

"_Blaine! What happened? Is he coming back? What did he s—"_

"_What did he mean?"_

_Blaine's question caused her to stop mid-question, mid-freakout, and stare. He didn't look sad. He didn't look heartbroken like she thought he would. She imagined that he'd cry. She thought that if Sebastian were to storm off, he might chase after him or slump into a seat, dejected by the notion of being abandoned. She thought he would be crushed and she was preparing words to soothe Blaine on her way over to him, while crossing the ten or so feet that separated them._

_But Blaine wasn't sad. He wasn't dejected. He wasn't heartbroken. _

_He was angry._

"_What did he mean, Tina, when he said he had to read about me seeing Kurt?" Blaine repeated, his voice oddly calm despite the anger written across his brow. _

_She'd never seen him in such a state. She'd see Blaine annoyed. She'd seen him angry. She once experienced a grumpy Blaine because he had slept past his alarm and was unable to drink his morning coffee, but she had never seen him pissed off like he was at that moment._

"_W—what do you mean?" she stumbled over her words, her affected stutter returning in sincerity, unbeknownst to her._

"_Why did Sebastian know that I had talked to Kurt? Why did he know that it went well? Why did he act like I cheated on him or something!?"_

_The last of his questions was as close to screaming as Blaine had ever gotten, granted, most people would only have classified it as a slightly louder than normal volume. _

_Tina's shoulders dropped as her lips began to tremble. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He was right. She had shown Sebastian her phone when it wasn't her place. She deserved to feel as horribly as she did in that moment. She made a mistake and it was time for her to accept responsibility for her action._

"_Because," she paused as she drew in a deep breath, "he…well…I mean, he knew because I showed him your texts."_

_She mentally berated herself. She had wanted to be honest and tell him what she had done in an adult voice, willing to accept the consequences of her actions, yet her words came out in a hoarse whisper, delivered by a childlike face that was tipped towards the ground, unable to meet his eyes. _

"_I'm so sorry Blaine," she quickly recovered, "I knew it was stupid as soon as I did it. I tried to fix it. I tried to explain that maybe we were just reading it wrong or that you meant something else. But this is just a misunderstanding, right? I mean, it's not like you did anything with Kurt, so we can just find him and explain that he's freaking out over nothing. I mean, really it's shouldn't be that hard to…"_

_Her words trailed off as she turned and watched him sit at her abandoned table. She knew the look on his face. She knew that he was beating himself up in his head, but why? What could Blaine possibly have done to make him blame himself when it was clearly hers and Sebastian's fault for what had happened: hers for showing him the texts and his for jumping to conclusions and not waiting for a proper explanation._

"_Blaine?" she asked as she tentatively moved forward, unsure of whether or not he even wanted her there._

_The closer she got, the more she could see the lines of annoyance and self-scolding that had to be taking place beneath his gelled helmet. _

"_No."_

_No? No what? Maybe Blaine was in shock? What sense did it make to say just "no"?_

"_What…what do you mean?" she gently prodded, kneeling in front of her friend and staring into his eyes, looking for any hint as to what he could be talking about. She was greatly discouraged when she saw massive amounts of sadness and hurt in them. Her heart broke, knowing that she was partly responsible._

"_I…seeing Kurt…he…well, I…I wasn't exactly the best boyfriend at the end."_

_His disconnected words and the regret that laced them tore at her heart._

"_Oh, Blaine…" she sighed as she pulled a chair closer to him and grabbed his hands in her own. She wished there was more that she could do. Clearly going back in time was out of the question._

_Nothing. There was nothing to do but to hold him and hope to God that Sebastian would somehow come to his senses. _

— **Glee —**

"Took you long enough to open the door. Did I interrupt your jack off time or something?" Nick teased as he walked into Sebastian's new apartment and kicked off his shoes. It wasn't his first time in the teen's new home, having helped him set up the space a little when he moved in.

"Fuck off," came Sebastian's lazy reply. Nick frowned, at the lack of effort in his friend's comeback. Clearly, Tina was right to call him.

Nick had received a call from the girl earlier in the afternoon, explaining what had happened in the café the day before in very general terms and that no one had talked to Sebastian since. Seeing as how Blaine never got a chance to actually go to Sebastian's apartment, they had no idea where the emancipated teen was.

"So what's this I hear about you and Blaine breaking up…_again_?" the accusation clearly evident in his question.

Their constant back and forth with their relationship status was bordering on something out of a teen soap opera. It seemed as if a week didn't pass without Sebastian sticking his foot in his mouth and hurting Blaine somehow, only for Sebastian to blow things out of proportion and break up with the former Warbler. When he got the call from Tina, he assumed that Sebastian had probably made a stupid comment about bow ties or chinos. They would probably talk it out and then they'd play a game of Mario Cart before he sent Sebastian over to Blaine's house to apologize.

He sighed when he saw Sebastian's reaction. He noticed his friend's shoulders tense up and mentally prepared himself for the shouting that would surely follow. He'd been friends with Sebastian long enough to know when the boy's anger was flaring. This was certainly one of those times.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sebastian said as he turned away from Nick, avoiding eye contact. Though his voice was calm and even, it was almost _too_ calm, and Nick knew that to be a sign of his annoyance and anger being carefully kept in check. An overly calm Sebastian was often times a dangerous Sebastian.

"Well that's too bad, because we're about to Oprah it out with this. Come on Man, this is stupid. You guys have broken up and gotten back together an ass load of times now. I don't get why this is any diff—"

"I said I don't wanna talk about it," Sebastian bit back, interrupting Nick's words.

Nick frowned as he pressed on, "And I said that I don't give a shit. Tina told me that you guys got into another argument over some stupid misunderstan—"

"Yeah? Well Tina needs to mind her own fucking business," Sebastian hissed, any hints of his patience quickly disappearing.

"She's just trying to help. We both are. Why are you being such a little bitch?"

"Because that's who I am," he snapped back, "isn't it? Aren't I just the little bitch who flips out over everything? Huh? Who fucking ruins things and gets what he deserves?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nick asked, completely bewildered.

What had Tina not told him to get Sebastian so riled up? He'd seen Sebastian angry. He'd seen the boy livid. He remembered what he was like the last time he had broken up with Blaine. But that? That was a completely different level of "defensive and angry" that Nick had not yet experienced. Maybe being so direct wasn't the best of strategies? Unfortunately, it was a bit too late to take it back.

"Never mind," Sebastian said as he began walking away.

"Hey! What the fuck? We're talking here!" Nick yelled at the retreating figure.

"No, _you're_ over here sticking your dick in someone else's business where it doesn't belong. We're not talking. You're fucking pissing me off!"

"And you're avoiding whatever the fuck your problem is. Haven't you figured out by now that ignoring whatever's going on doesn't make it go away? It just makes it worse. Get your head out of your ass and fucking man-up for once!" Nick returned, completely unconcerned with the neighbors that surely were able to hear their conversation perfectly through the walls, floors, and ceilings. He imagined that someone had probably called the cops by that point with all their yelling.

"It's not me who has his head up his ass, but of course it has to be my fault, right? I mean, I _am_ the Fuck Up in this relationship. But guess what, it's not me this time! This time it's fucking _perfect_ Blaine Anderson. He's the one who fucked up, not me! So fuck you and fuck your little charity visit here! I don't need it and I don't need you! Get the fuck out of my house!"

Nick could see his friend unraveling before his eyes. This was a different Sebastian. Gone were the days of carefully scripted remarks, perfectly mastered eyebrow raises, and cutting sneers. This was a raw Sebastian, completely unmasked and a bit of an emotional mess. His hair wasn't perfectly styled like it usually was, and if the sweat pants and t-shirt the boy had on were any indication, he clearly wasn't his normal self. Something was seriously wrong, and as much as Nick wanted to calm himself and assure his friend that he was on his side no matter what, Nick's pride and being screamed at was getting in the way: he wasn't about to swallow his pride when his friend was screaming obscenities at him.

"Fuck you, Smythe! I came over because you're my friend for some stupid reason that I can't even think of right now!"

"Well no one asked you to!" Sebastian returned.

"They don't have to! That's what decent human beings do! But I guess it's probably a little hard for you to understand that right now. That requires someone to have a heart. And right now, you're being a fucking little bitch who doesn't care about anyone but him—"

Before he was able to finish his thought, Nick found himself lying on the ground with a throbbing pain in his left check. He was staring up at Sebastian, his mind finally realizing what had happened.

Sebastian punched him.

Nick brought his hand up to his cheek for a moment before he jumped up and connected his fist with Sebastian's face, registering the pain in his knuckles as he watched Sebastian fall backwards onto the floor after the contact.

"What they fuck was that for?!" Nick yelled. The next words out of Nick's mouth went unused as he felt more than saw Sebastian launch himself at his middle. The two boys went flying back to the floor, rolling around, and landing hits wherever they could. Grunts and yells of pain were mixed with curses and the sounds of furniture and objects being moved around and falling to the floor.

The boys finally stopped when Nick was able to pin Sebastian down and hold his wrists to the floor. He stared down at the boy who was still thrashing around, trying in vain to free himself from the hold. Nick was taken aback by the look in his Sebastian's eyes. There was an anger there that made him almost unrecognizable. In a word, the defiant boy looked crazy.

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"What's going on?" Nick asked as he got off of Sebastian and sat back on the floor, watching his friend carefully for any signs of a repeat performance. He watched as Sebastian propped himself up on his elbows and directed a glare at him.

"Blaine's back together with _Hummel_," the name coming out of his mouth like a dirty word.

Nick just stared. That couldn't be right. When he had spoken to Tina, she told him that Blaine was beyond upset that Sebastian had misunderstood him over whatever happened.

"Dude, no they're not."

The short sentence made Sebastian return his eyes to Nick and for a split second, he could see a look of hope arrange itself on the boy's face before a scowl returned.

"What do you know? I was there, I asked him if he kissed Hummel and he said—"

"Look Man, I don't know what he said or what happened. All I know is that Blaine's all bummed over what happened. Tina said he was weird and stuff and that he's definitely not with Kurt. She said you misunderstood what happened. I think you jumped to conclusions on this one."

Sebastian just sat there, looking confused and pathetic. Nick almost felt bad for his friend. Almost. His ability to sympathize was being blocked by the massive amounts of pain coursing through his body.

"You hear what I said? Blaine's not with Kurt."

A few seconds of time passed with Sebastian not saying anything. Nick sighed, and carefully scooted over until he was sitting next to the other boy. They sat in silence together. Nick knew enough to know that this was a time where Sebastian would talk when he was ready.

"I told him I loved him."

_Sebastian smiled shyly as he strummed the last chord of the song and mouthed "I love you" to the phone that Tina was holding. She smiled even wider when Tina all but collapsed in her chair. He announced he would take a five minute break to the one person listening, Tina. As he made his way to the table to sit, Tina was practically bouncing in her seat, squealing at a pitch that rendered her words unrecognizable to the male species. He was sure that he needed a vagina and a French manicure to be able to understand her ramblings. _

"_That was the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen," she gushed, finally at a semi-normal pitch._

"_You don't think it was too much? The 'I love you' at the end felt like overkill I think…" Sebastian's voice trailed off and he failed at doing his best to keep his anxiety in check. His heart was racing in his chest at what he had just said. He couldn't remember ever uttering those words together. Declarations of love weren't a normal thing in the houses he grew up in. _

"_Are you kidding? That was so perfect. He's gonna love it! I almost got pregnant watching that," Tina rambled as she fiddled with her phone and sent the video._

"_I don't think I've ever said that before," Sebastian confessed, stopping himself before continuing on that thought._

"_You can trust him, you know."_

"_Huh?" he asked, being pulled out of his thoughts._

_"Blaine. You can trust him when you tell him you love him. I know you two have been through a lot since you got together, and even before that I guess, but he's a good guy Sebastian. He won't ever hurt you…not on purpose at least," she added the last part with a small smile._

_Sebastian smiled as he took comfort in her words and felt a warmth surround him. He was also saddened by his admission. How was it possible that a 17 year old had never told someone that he loved them? It wasn't as though his parents were very deserving of that type of declaration, but how had he never told Will that?_

_Will._

_He winced slightly at the memory of his brother. Will knew he loved him, right? He did. Sebastian was sure of it and he knew that his brother would probably tell him to get a grip over himself. He could imagine his brother scowling and shaking at finger at him, telling him that superheroes needed to be fearless and that he wasn't being fearless with Blaine. _

_Sebastian shook his head as he smiled at Tina and made his way back to his microphone. He was being stupid. Of course he could trust Blaine. Of course everything would be okay. For once in his life, Sebastian had found someone who was worth being fearless. He wasn't going to mess things up like he had in the past. As he began singing his next song, he felt a bubbling of excitement in his stomach as he thought about what Blaine would say when he saw him. _

_He was certain that everything would be perfect._

"Oh."

Nick didn't know what to say. It was as if everything clicked into place for him. Sebastian's admission made his actions very clear. Sebastian wasn't the type to comfortably make himself vulnerable. He wasn't the type to open up, but he had. He had told Blaine he loved him and obviously something had gone wrong. It made sense. Why else would he act the way he had?

"I think you need to talk to him," he watched Sebastian out of the corner of his eye as the boy slowly nodded. The two boys continued sitting there in the middle of the living room with knocked over boxes and their contents strewn about the room.

"Do you honestly think he's back with Kurt?" Nick asked after another minute or two of silence had passed.

"I don't know," came Sebastian's hoarse whisper.

"Look Man, I know you think it's not any of my business, but whatever he did, you owe him the chance to explain himself. The guy's given you a billion second chances and you're just writing him off the first time he fucks things up a little? That doesn't seem right."

Sebastian only nodded his head slightly, keeping his eyes locked on the floor.

"You guys are good together. When you're not fighting and acting like chicks, you're good. I don't think your pride is worth giving him up," Nick shrugged as he spoke, "You guys deserve to be happy and I think that you _can_ be happy with each other. You just need to get over yourself and listen to him."

Nick nodded his head before pushing himself off the ground and standing up. He turned around and held a hand out to Sebastian who stared at it for a second before accepting the offer. The two stood there in more silence looking at each other, but understanding the other's thoughts.

Sebastian, looking at Nick, slowly nodded his head after sighing.

Nick smiled, feeling better that his friend was going to fix things. He walked over to his shoes and slipped them on before pulling on his jacket that he had grabbed from one of the sofas. He walked up to Sebastian had gave him a tight hug, smiling to himself when he felt the other boy tense up in his arms.

"I know I'm single now, but don't you think you're jumping the gun a little on this?"

Nick laughed as he pulled away from Sebastian and slapped him with a medium amount of force. He watched as Sebastian stepped backwards, dazed from the action.

"And if you ever throw a bitch fit again and come at me like that, I _will_ knock your ass flat," he said before fixing his friend with a glare and walking into the hallway.

— **Glee —**

"So you've been talkin' to Kurt this whole time?" Sam asked from his spot on the bed.

Blaine nodded his head as he played with the duvet cover over his lap and under his still carefully positioned laptop computer. He felt slightly guilty that he had never told Sebastian that he was still in contact with his ex-boyfriend.

"Did Sebastian know about that?"

Blaine shook his head, answering the question.

"I dunno, Dude. I mean, I get that you weren't doing anything, but that seems like something you should've mentioned to him. I'd wanna know if my girl was still talking to her ex," Sam said.

"I know," Blaine said, again feeling guilty and doing his best to ignore the fact that he had just been referred to as Sebastian's "girl", "but I guess I just didn't want to have to deal with how he'd feel. I knew I wasn't cheating or anything. We were honestly just being friends again. Kurt knew about Sebastian. I had told him that we were giving things a shot. Sebastian can be…well…he can be a little jealous and insecure. I knew he wouldn't take the news well."

Sam nodded and Blaine felt slightly embarrassed. He hadn't just explained his actions to Sam; he had defended them. Whenever an action required defending, it usually meant that it was something that shouldn't have been done in the first place.

"So did you end up telling Sebastian about talking to Kurt?"

Blaine winced and tilted his head, "Sort of."

"What'd he say?"

"That's," Blaine paused as he took in a big breath and exhaled, "that's sort of where the argument happened."

"What do you mean?"

"He saw some texts I had sent to Tina, telling her about Kurt. They sort of made it look like I was getting back together with him."

"With Kurt?" Sam asked incredulously.

Blaine nodded his head yes as he sighed, his entire demeanor communicating his disappoint with what things had turned into.

"Oh," Sam said, seemingly understanding what had happened and why his friend's boyfriend had been so upset. But the more he thought about it, the less clear it actually became. Why would that cause Sebastian to break up with Blaine? Sure, part of it made sense, but it didn't make sense that Sebastian would leave before Blaine had a chance to explain things.

"Wait, I don't get it. I mean, I get that he's pissed because he thought you were getting back together with Kurt. I mean, I'd be pissed too. That makes sense, but I don't get why you didn't just tell him that he was wrong, that you weren't actually getting back together with him?"

"He didn't give me a chance," Blaine explained. He sighed when Sam looked at him in confusion and explained further.

"He didn't give me a chance because he was really angry with me," Blaine tried again, and again, Sam only looked at him in confusion.

"He…" his words felt clumsy in his mind and on his lips, "before I got there, he…he had just told me that," another pause and long breath, "he told me that loved me."

"Oh."

"_I don't get it, Tina," Blaine lamented in his chair, "I don't get why he acted like that. I mean, yeah, it's not exactly something you want to hear from your boyfriend, but…"_

_Blaine's words trailed off and the confused puppy-dog look on his face appeared. Tina hated that look. That look always tore her heart in half._

"…_but…but why did he react like _that_? It doesn't make sense. I've—he's…he's never looked at me like that before. I mean…he…he looked at me like I was disgusting, or something. He's never…"_

_Blaine's words once again trailed off. It was clear that he had no idea how to communicate his thoughts. All the pauses between his words told Tina that he felt lost._

"_Well," she began, not sure of how to tell him, "he…well he umm…I…I think you need to see something," she said as she shakily held out her phone to her friend. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her: she was well aware that that was the second time she held out her phone to a friend, afraid of how they'd receive its contents. Phones were evil, Tina had decided. They brought nothing but bad news. _

_She watched as Blaine looked at her with confusion before bringing his eyes to the phone screen and tapping the play button. She heard the video start playing and watched as Blaine couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips once Sebastian started speaking. When the music began and he started singing, she watched as Blaine's expression changed. The first few lyrics played out of the speakers and she saw realization flood his eyes. It was a crushing moment for her to witness. Blaine's boyfriend was telling him that he loved him, but instead of being able to find joy in the moment, he was forced to think of how he had betrayed that trust with his actions with Kurt, even if they were unintentional. She watched a single tear fall from Blaine's eye as the video ended. She could see him fighting back the army of tears that were surely on the cusp of spilling down his cheeks._

"_He loves me," Blaine whispered, his voice sounding harsh and strained._

_Tina nodded her head, cringing at the moment and its awkwardness. She tried to think of something to say, opened her mouth a few times in hopes that something wise might spill out, only to be disappointed at her muteness. _

_She was surprised when Blaine stood up from his chair as if he was about to leave. She stood up and called out his name when he turned his back to her. She was hopeful when he stopped. She couldn't let her friend walk away like that. He meant too much to her for that._

"_I can't, Tina," Blaine said, turning his head slightly to the side, though not actually enough to look at her, "I just can't right now."_

_Tina felt the tears fall silently as she watched her best friend walk away from her._

Blaine looked at Sam and could see the pity in his eyes. He never considered himself to be a proud person, but in that moment, he understood why Sebastian always hated being pitied. It made him feel small and incapable of handling his life, like he was weak and powerless.

"Well that makes sense…I guess…" Sam mumbled awkwardly, obviously not sure of what to say.

The two boys sat on the bed, praying that the other would say something to fill the silence. Blaine bit his lip, trying to think of what to say. Thankfully, he was spared further moments of discomfort when Sam spoke, though his words didn't bring as much relief as he'd hoped.

"So that's why Tina told me to come over instead of coming over herself," Sam said, nodding to himself as his brain worked. He continued speaking when he noticed the look of confusion on Blaine's face.

"Think about it," he said, "you walked away after she told you and after you got all pissy that she showed Sebastian your texts."

"I didn't get pissy, I jus—"

"I don't mean pissy like pissy, but I mean pissy like you were mad that she did that. Which, I mean yeah, I get that it's a pretty crappy move for her, but she probably thinks you hate her or something," Sam explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? Hate—I don't hate her, Sam! Why would she think that?" Blaine asked, horrified that his friend would even suggest the thought.

"Dude, she's a chick. They don't need a reason to be crazy. They just are."

"I feel like there were some serious sexist undertones to that comment," Blaine said, raising an eyebrow, but happy that Sam was providing a nice distraction from his problems.

"But am I wrong?" Sam asked with a wide, cocky grin.

Blaine couldn't help himself and started to laugh. He always found it impossible not to laugh when Sam was around. As much as it pained him to think that Tina thought he hated her, he was glad that she had sent him over for support: Sam was exactly who he needed to get out of his mind and situation. As the awkwardness left and they continued their conversation, Blaine's phone went off on his side table.

"Maybe that's her right now, asking you to forgive her with a bunch of smiley face thingies," Sam teased as he leaned back further into the mattress.

Blaine smiled as he turned and reached for the small device. His smile disappeared and his laughter stopped when he saw the message preview on his unlock screen. He blinked a few times, wanting to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"You OK B?" Sam asked as he sat up from his laying position, after seeing Blaine's reaction to the text.

"It's Sebastian," he paused, thoughts flying through his mind, "he's in my backyard."

Sam immediately jumped up from his spot on the bed and ran over to the window in Blaine's room that faced the backyard. He ignored Blaine's cries of protest, telling him to get away from the window, and pulled the curtain to the side as he swatted Blaine's hands away behind his back without turning around.

"Sam!"

"He's standing there with a guitar. Oh, he looks surprised to see me. Whoa, now he looks annoyed. Oh, I think he might think we're doing each other or something. I should tell him that we're not," Sam said as he peered out the window, all the while ignoring Blaine's pleadings to back away from the window.

Blaine watched in horror as Sam tried to signal with his hands that they weren't actually having sex. Apparently shaking his head no while pointing to himself and him and mimicking a blowjob was Sam's idea of denying any sexual activity. Blaine brought his palms to his face as he imagined Sebastian's reaction to what was happening.

He quickly walked up the Sam and grabbed the taller boy by his shoulders and yanked back as hard as he could. He felt a small amount of satisfaction when the muscular blonde let out a most undignified yelp and fell backwards onto the floor. He then went to the window and pulled the curtain back and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sebastian still standing there, looking adorably confused. He smiled and waved, smiling even wider when the wave was returned. He turned back to look at Sam who was getting off the floor with a frown on his face ("Not cool, Dude!") before turning back to Sebastian and holding one finger up, asking the boy outside to wait. He watched as Sebastian smiled and nodded his head in understanding.

"Sorry about that," Blaine winced as he turned around to face Sam.

"You could've just asked me to move," Sam mumbled, grabbing his jacket off of Blaine's desk chair and putting it on. "And don't worry, I get that you guys probably wanna talk, so I'm gonna head out."

Blaine smiled and thanked his friend for understanding. The two made their way down the stairs. After thanking Sam for coming over and wishing him a Merry Christmas, since the day was so close, he grabbed his own coat from the hall closet and slipped on a pair of shoes before walking through the living room and family room. He stopped when he noticed that his parents were missing, but then saw a note the refrigerator saying that they had been asked over to a friend's house for a last minute Christmas party.

He continued until he got to the set of French doors at the back of the house that led to their deck. After stepping into the cold, December night air, Blaine suddenly felt the butterflies in his stomach start to do aerial acrobatics. As he walked out more onto the deck, he could hear Sebastian's guitar as the other boy began playing.

"Sebastian," Blaine said, his breath forming clouds and figures in the air as small flakes of snow fell around them, "what are you doing here?"

Sebastian smiled as he continued playing, though Blaine could see through the act and knew that he was nervous.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted, Blaine. I shouldn't have run out like that, but with everything and how I…you know…" his voice trailed off and his mask of confidence quickly disappeared.

Blaine nodded his head guiltily, showing that he understood what Sebastian meant.

"I just…I was a little more…God I don't want to say sensitive, that's such a girly word…" Sebastian looked around, and took a deep breath before continuing, "I just want you to know that I understand if this is what you want, Blaine."

"What I want? Sebastian, what do you me—"

"I said that I lo—that I love you," the words coming out awkwardly, like a newly born giraffe taking its first steps, "and I meant it. I really think we have something here, Blaine, and if I need to wait for you to be sure of that, to realize that too, then that's what I'll do."

Blaine was flabbergasted. Not only did Sebastian just tell him he loved him to his face, but he also still believed that he, Blaine, was getting back together with Kurt _and_ that he would wait for him. It was almost too much information for his mind to take.

"Sebastian, I—"

"No," Sebastian interrupted, "no, you don't need to say anything Blaine. Just…I just wanted to play something for you. Just let me sing this for you." There was a pleading in his eyes that Blaine couldn't deny. He hesitantly nodded his head for Sebastian to continue. He could feel his jaw tremble as puffs of his breath escaped his lips. He was hypnotized and stood rooted to his spot on the deck as Sebastian started singing, his words dancing through the air and warming his heart.

_I don't think he deserves you.  
__I'm gonna come right out and say it  
__Even though I hardly know him at all.  
__That's what makes this so hard._

_Cause I remember he hurt you,  
__Told you he didn't have the time  
__To see you or even answer your calls,  
__After breaking your heart._

Blaine closed his eyes and could almost feel the old pain that he lived through with Kurt. He remembered the feelings of rejection and inadequacy. He also remembered having those same feelings of abandonment with Sebastian and how the boy would flee at the first sign of trouble.

_I know we barely even started but I fully believe  
__That you could of been the one for me.  
__And I miss what we might've had.  
__Honey I miss what we could've done._

_I wrote a sad song about it and I'm still pretty bitter  
__But I'm happy if you're happy he won.  
__And I still miss you in the night, but I want you to know:  
__If he leaves you cold in the city, aching for a lover,  
__Honey you can always come home._

As the interlude between the verses played, Blaine fought against his deep, primal urge to hop over the small railing and run into Sebastian's arms. He was saying he loved him. He, Blaine Anderson, had a boy standing in his backyard in the middle of winter, singing him a love song _about_ how much he loved him. It was everything he had ever wanted. It was perfect.

_Do you ever stop to think that he did it to you once  
__So he's probably gonna do it again?  
__Or do you defend that he's angel of virtue?  
__Well, "He made a mistake and it cost him what he loves.  
__He knows what he's done,  
__He's sorry for it now and he's never gonna leave" you again?"_

_Well maybe you're right but I still believe  
__That you coulda been the one for me.  
__And I miss what we might've had.  
__Honey I miss what we could've done._

_I wrote a sad song about it and I'm still pretty bitter  
__But I'm happy if you're happy he won.  
__And I still miss you in the night, but I want you to know:  
__If he leaves you cold in the city, aching for a lover,  
__Honey you can always come home._

_If he leaves you cold in the city and you're begging for a lover,  
__Honey you can always come home._

As the last note rang in the night, Blaine was at a loss for words.

"That's…pretty much what I wanted to say," Sebastian said awkwardly, as if he wasn't able to decipher the look on Blaine's face. When the shorter boy remained silent, Sebastian slowly nodded his head and smiled an apology before starting to walk away.

"I'm not with him!" Blaine shouted, unsure of why he chose to say it like that.

"Huh?"

"Kurt…we…we're not getting back together," Blaine explained, "I wasn't lying when I told you that. He's just a friend, Sebastian. It was never more than that."

"But what about the kissing?" he asked, his voice small like a child's, unsure of himself and what he was saying.

"It was a goodbye. He asked for one last kiss," Blaine responded before looking at the ground, "It was wrong of me. It wasn't fair to you to do that. I should have said 'no,' but I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, Sebastian."

"So you…you really just went to say goodbye?"

Blaine could hear the hope in his voice.

"Yes," he answered quietly, hoping that the other boy would finally believe him.

"Oh God, Blaine," Sebastian said, his entire demeanor changing, "you have no idea…I'm so sorry! God, I hate that I'm a broken record with that. I didn't mean to—I shouldn't have—Fuck! I'm sorry! I swear, this is the last freak out, I promise! God, I'm such a fuck up!..."

He watched as Sebastian continued his rant, walking around the deck and making his way up the stairs. They were standing just inches apart, finally. Sebastian sighed, struggling to force himself into maintain eye contact with Blaine.

"I'm sorry Blaine," he whispered, tentatively reaching forward and gently taking Blaine's hand in his own. He smiled when the shorter boy didn't pull away and took a step closer.

"I love you, Blaine Anderson," he smiled, "I love you and…and I'm not afraid to say it. You don't have to say it. I—I don't care if you say it. All I know is that I love you and I want you to know that. I want you to be mine, Blaine. I want—I want you to be mine a—and I want to be yours and all that stupid romantic stuff that happens in movies and on TV," the two boys laughed at Sebastian's version of a romantic speech.

"I know I keep fu—messing things up, I know it and I'm so, _so_ sorry for that Blaine. But I want you to know that I'm trying and that I really want to be better because you deserve that. You deserve someone that's way better than me, Blaine. You do because you're…you're just…you're perfect. You're amazing. You're this incredible person that was stupid enough to give me the time of day, to forgive me when I almost blinded you. See? I mean, you're even amazing when people do horrible things to you."

Blaine couldn't help the dopey grin that appeared on his lips. He felt his cheeks burning, and knew that his face was a bright red. He'd never seen Sebastian act the way he was acting. It was new. It was strange, disarming even, but he liked it.

"I know I don't deserve another chance, Blaine. I know you have every reason to push me away and tell me to get lost, but…but I still need to ask, even though I have no right to, because I don't even know what I'd do with myself if I didn't."

Sebastian was wearing a matching grin on his face, a face that conveyed his anticipation over what Blaine's answer would be, a face that Blaine remembered seeing in an old picture of a five-year-old Sebastian.

"Blaine Anderson, will you do me the honor and make me the happiest guy in the world of…being my boyfriend and…and giving me another shot?"

Blaine smiled, completely charmed by Sebastian's antics. He squeezed Sebastian's hand that was holding his and stared into the boy's piercing emerald eyes. He knew what he wanted to say, what he envisioned himself saying, but for the second time in two days, Blaine knew what he needed to say.

"Sebastian…I—I love you too…"

Sebastian's smile grew even larger. Blaine could almost feel the boy start to bounce on his feet.

"…but I can't."

He watched as the smile on Sebastian's face broke and his skin turned a pale white. He felt the hold on his hand suddenly become loose as the other boy took a step backwards.

"Sebastian…" Blaine said, his voice barely above a whisper as he began shaking his head slightly with a pained expression. "Sebastian, I'm sorry…but…"

Words escaped him in that moment. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to say to make him feel better? He panicked when he saw Sebastian shaking his head and taking steps backwards.

"Sebastian, stop!" he called, and took a step forward, reaching out to grab a hold of the retreating boy, but pulling his hand back as if he was burned when he saw the look on the other boy's face.

"But…how can you…but…but you said…you said you loved me?" Sebastian's voice came out so soft that Blaine could barely hear him. The pain in his voice and on his face tore Blaine's heart in half. There were tears in his voice, tears in his voice in a way that Blaine had never heard before.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian," Blaine said, his words being delivered in a broken tone, trying to keep himself from falling apart in front of the other boy. Crying in that moment was not something that he deserved. He wasn't allowed to cry when he was the one breaking Sebastian's heart.

"I don't…I don't get it," Sebastian said as tears streamed down his cheeks. He still looked shocked, as if he hadn't fully processed what was happening.

"I love you, Sebastian. I do. I love you, but…" he stopped, desperately and barely holding himself together, "but I can't do this. I can't…I can't be the person that you need me to be, Sebastian. I'm not strong enough. I hurt. I hurt a lot…and I know you don't mean it. I know that they're unintentional and that you don't mean to do those things, but they still hurt. They still tear me apart, Sebastian. I'm not saying this because I want you to feel bad or anything, I swear. I just…this is how I feel."

Blaine was breathing hard and wiping his eyes and nose, what seemed like every five seconds. He could feel his heart slamming against the inside of his chest and his vision was becoming slightly blurred from the tears that were filling his eyes.

He felt horrible.

"I wish I could, Bas," he said, using his name for Sebastian that only he was allowed to use, "I wish I was stronger because…because I care about you so much. I love you…but I can't do this anymore. All this up and down…this back and forth. I can't. I feel like I'm your punching bag and…and I…I just…I'm sorry…"

He watched helplessly as Sebastian just stood there, listening to every single one of his words. The look on Sebastian's face, the look of pain, of shame, of disappointment, of embarrassment, of betrayal…of failure, Blaine knew that the look, that frozen expression, would be one that would haunt him in his dreams.

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered as he watched Sebastian turn and run.

He stood there, frozen in his spot not by the icy weather that was cutting his cheeks, but by the realization of what he had just done: he had just told the boy that he loved that he wasn't good enough, that his love wasn't good enough. The falling snowflakes around him seemed to lose their magic and beauty. They danced around him, landing on his nose and tickling his skin in mockery. It was as if their very existence seemed to scream to him that they were his only company, that he was alone.

Blaine took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and did his best to school his emotions, to force them down into a deep, deep part of him where he could lock them up and not have to deal with them.

After a few minutes of calming himself, Blaine walked back into the house and kicked off his shoes, inside the door. He walked to the hall closet, pulled out a hanger, and placed his coat back onto the rack. He slowly made his way to the stairs as if he were moving automatically and not with intent. He stopped when he placed his hand on the rail and thought of his piano in the music room. He thought of all the times in his childhood and adolescence where he felt alone and abandoned by his family; his parents, his brother. He thought about how he would spend hours at his piano, lost in the rhythmic comfort that it would provide, the escape from the realities of his disappointing life. He longed again for that comfort. He craved a release from the pain in his chest, a way out of feeling the way he felt. He turned and made his way down the hall to the gleaming black instrument. He sat down on the bench and looked at the sheet music that was sitting in front of him, a small purchase that he had made the previous week.

He took another deep breath and gently placed his trembling fingers on the ivory keys. He did his best to steady his hands, closing his eyes again. When he opened them, he focused on the notes in front of him. As he began playing, he felt a small soothing in his belly, as if the music was somehow healing the hurt that was there. Before he knew it, he could hear himself singing quietly, timidly as he played.

_Wise men say  
__Only fools rush in.  
__But I can't help  
__Falling in love with you._

_Shall I stay?  
__Would it be a sin?  
__But I can't help  
__Falling in love with…_

The music suddenly stopped and was replaced with a crashing of notes, the most dissonant of chords ever heard. Blaine began sobbing uncontrollably from his spot on the piano keys, having collapsed on them. The soothing warmth in him was a lie. The music hadn't healed him.

His cries echoed through the empty house alongside the ugly notes from the piano.

— **Glee —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Soooo…before the tomatoes go flying, there IS a last part to this story, an epilogue, and I promise that you will get the ending that you all want. Ending things this way was a choice that I really went back and forth on, but ultimately decided that it was something I had to do. There were a number of people…ok, a few…who pointed out that Sebastian was constantly screwing things up and that Blaine was just taking it. In my mind, he has some semblance of self-respect (unlike on the show) and knows that they both have some growing up to do. **

**So…I'm almost scared to write this…but please take a second and leave me your thoughts on the chapter. Reactions are always welcomed (in fact, they're longed for…loves me some reviews lol). Feel free to chew me out or tell me that I'm a huge douche-mother-fella for writing this. **

**I'd like to thank EVERYONE who's favorited/followed/reviewed me since my last update: QueenoftheFlyingMonkeys (what is this name? Awesome!), wesayrachel, ClaiClai (you have no idea how much I amused myself reading your name outloud over and over), SuperGirl1993, PigPimples(? Lol story?), dimonyo-anghel, emt2122, Renee20061918, sandysmate, mickchasels, yuki86 (are you a 1986 baby? I am!), lissa (you were the first reviewer!), BelugaLoki, RHatch89, ournoisyhearts, Loki Firefox, Kay, TheFauxMe, Klainers, Aquaria245, Miss-A-2000, RoseCriss, TVTime, openmymindcomeinside (lovely beta), ClaiClai, Guest (whomever you are lol), and Samfan23 (Welcome to the mix! This guy has a great story that I'm reading. Check it out. The laughs KILL me). **

**I'd like to especially thank those of you who have been reading and reviewing for a good chunk. I know everyone came joined the party a few chapters in, but it's still really meant a lot to me that you've continued to read and leave even the shortest of reviews to reassure me that people were actually out there reading this. Man, I sound like I'm trying to win a beauty pageant here, but honestly and sincerely, thank you to those of you who would take an extra minute or two out of your day to support and encourage me. You all rock my life.**

**Again, this is the last full chapter. There IS a final epilogue that I'll be posting (soon, hopefully) and then that'll be it. Keep a lookout for that in your emails, and follow the story if you haven't already. And I will hopefully see you all soon, and I'll see some of you even sooner when I leave my own reviews for you! :)**

**EPILOGUE: A look at what happened after all the crazy shenanigans of this chapter and that **_**thing**_** that so many of you have been asking for is finally happening. **


	26. Epilogue

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's the epilogue. I'll save my long-winded speech for the endnote. Hopefully you like the approach this chapter had…just kidding! Here are a buttload of words:**

**I'd like to say a special thank you to my wonderfully talented beta, openmymindcomeinside, who did a fantastic job of going over this and helping me in the writing stage as well. She's been an awesome help these last few chapters that we've been together and I can't thank her enough for all her help. Too many late nights (coughcoughlastnightcoughcoug h) were shared together over Skype and Google Chat. You're a beast of a woman. Hats off. Hats. Off. If you haven't started reading her story "I Knew You Were Trouble" yet, definitely go check it out. It's a fantastic Seblaine fic that I talked her into letting me beta. I believe the update should be up later today/tomorrow? So read and review the crap out of her. You won't regret it. **

**And I would also like to thank TheFauxMe for being a huge help in the writing process as well. We collaborated quite a bit with each other this past week over her story that she is currently writing with Loki Firefox. They were gracious enough to let me sort of guest write the beginning section of their latest chapter. The story's called "Brand New Ground" and it's pretty much one of the best stories on here, so check it out. **

**DISCLAIMER: Yadda, yadda, yadda…**

— **Glee —**

**We Love, We Lose, We Start Again**

**Epilogue**

The weeks and months passed by for the two boys. Christmas and New Year's came and went without either Sebastian or Blaine speaking to each other. As the school year resumed once again after the holidays, it became easier and easier to justify to themselves not spending time together. As the year continued, Blaine found himself busy with Glee rehearsals, homework, and his student council duties. Sebastian filled his days with Warbler practices, lacrosse games, papers, and sorting out numerous contracts after turning 18 and receiving the first portion of his in heritance.

Blaine smiled politely and simply explained that he and Sebastian were terribly busy whenever Tina or Sam would ask why they hadn't heard any stories about the Warbler or had a conversation interrupted by a text from Sebastian. Blaine's attempt to put on a brave face was unnecessary: his less-than-impressive job of pretending everything was fine proved to be horribly transparent. His two best friends did their best to try and get Blaine to talk, Tina had even gone so far as to leave numerous unanswered calls and voicemails on Sebastian's phone, but Blaine insisted on not speaking about what happened the night after Sam left.

Nick had been equally frustrated as he repeatedly tried to get Sebastian to talk about what had transpired between him and Blaine. It was evident to anyone and everyone with half a brain that things had not gone well between the two. Even Jeff had foolishly tried to ask Sebastian if he was okay. Nick was sure that the chair Sebastian threatened to throw at him served as fair warning to the rest of the group to leave the subject be.

A few polite text messages were sent back and forth. Blaine hadn't forgotten Sebastian's birthday and sent him a message wishing him a happy day. He offered to take Sebastian to dinner, but was thankful when Sebastian replied with an "I can't, but thank you" and apologized for being busy, asking for a rain check that both knew to be a mere formality, a gesture without sincerity.

If it hadn't been for Tina and Nick and their poorly executed scheme, the two boys may very well have finished their senior years without ever seeing each other again. It was a Saturday afternoon when the four happened to meet in the lobby at the movie theatre. After exchanging awkward greetings, they discovered that they were going to see the same movie. Sebastian and Blaine were unamused and unimpressed by Nick and Tina's horrible acting. After sitting together in the theatre, Tina's idea, which quickly brought her a glare from the two boys, had Nick and her both excusing themselves, citing a need to buy snacks and use the bathroom.

"Am I the only one who is slightly ashamed that we're friends with these two?" Blaine asked after a few minutes of silence. He looked to his left and smiled uncertainly at Sebastian who just happened to be sitting next to him (due to Tina's carefully planning, no doubt).

A few seconds passed before Sebastian smirked slightly, "No. I think Lindsay Lohan can rest assured that they won't replace her in a _Parent Trap_ sequel."

"A sequel to a remake? Is that even possible?" Blaine questioned, his smile growing more confident.

"The world may never know."

After that, it was as if the cold tension had decided to take a vacation, allowing the two to slowly slip back into the roles that they were used to. By the time Tina and Nick returned, 20 minutes—a suspiciously long time to buy food and use the bathroom—the two boys were making their normal sarcastic remarks to one another and had seemingly forgotten that their friends were missing.

— **Glee —**

The days and weeks following the movie theater incident had the two spending more and more time together. It was a slow beginning: Blaine texting Sebastian to come over and study one day and then Sebastian asking Blaine to show him how to cook a few days after that. The elephant in the room had drifted to a far away place in the back of their minds, though it never fully left. It was still something plaguing their minds.

Every time they got together, Blaine felt all his feelings for the taller boy fill his body. It was hard being so close to Sebastian and not being able to reach out and touch him the way he craved. He remembered the warm sensations he'd get from Sebastian's fingertips. On one particular night after a very exhausting day, Blaine found himself at Sebastian's door. As soon as the door opened, all Blaine wanted to do was run into Sebastian's arms and be told that he wasn't crazy for being so frustrated. He wanted to act on his impulse, but remembered that _he_ was the one who ended things and that _he_ had no right to do that to Sebastian, to confuse him or send him mixed signals. It was after that day that Blaine began to doubt his decision all those months ago. He began to wonder whether or not he had made a mistake in saying no to Sebastian's courtship.

For Sebastian, every moment with Blaine was a bittersweet torture. He had desperately missed his friend, but had allowed his pride to stop him from making any moves to do anything about it. Granted, Blaine was the one who had rejected him. Why should he be the one to go to Blaine and try to get their friendship back? But now that he had his friend back and their usual routine of spending all their time together had returned, he found that it was difficult to be around the shorter boy as only a friend. It was much like how things had been when Blaine was still dating…Kurt…but only worse. When they first started up a friendship in earnest, Sebastian hadn't known how it felt to hold Blaine in his arms. He didn't know how good it felt to feel Blaine's hands on his body, caressing and grabbing, sending shivers through him. It was as if he was an addict, forced to sit next to his vice, unable to partake in it like he used to. As much as it was hard for him to respect his friend's decision, he was still happy to have his friend back. Before they ever started dating or began fooling around, if you could call what they did fooling around, they were best friends and he was happy to get back to that. As much as it pained Sebastian to admit it, he was still in love with Blaine Anderson, and being his friend was just a reality that he'd have to get used to.

Another few weeks passed and the boys continued spending their nights and weekends together. Tina and Nick were only too happy to see less and less of their friends. When they _did_ get together, the subject was usually casually dismissed ("We're just friends. Nothing's happening."), but the masks on their faces were detected by the two best friends. Unfortunately, and much to their annoyance, Tina and Nick knew that they had finally reached the point in the road where they could no longer manipulate or trick their friends into what was obviously the right decision for them. They both knew that Sebastian and Blaine belonged together, and it wasn't as if a relationship at the end of their senior year was a stupid move since both were going to be attending school in NYC in the fall. Nick tried to calm Tina down ("I just don't get why they have to be so stupid!"), though he too wasn't innocent from sharing his frustrations ("They just need to get their heads out of their asses!...well…I guess…I mean…hmm…that's ironic."). In the end, they both decided to let the two figure things out on their own, as difficult as that may be.

— **Glee —**

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon at his house when Blaine had his epiphany. The two were sitting on his couch, trying to find a show to occupy their time. They had long ago made their way through Blaine's DVD collection of _Gossip Girl _seasons ("I still don't get why they made Dan, Gossip Girl?" "Lazy writing." "If we were ever on a TV, we'd have the best writers in the world!...Why are you laughing at that?"). He looked over from his spot on the couch and smiled at Sebastian who was absent-mindedly flipping through the channel guide with a small frown on his face. It was in that moment, that single second of mundane existence, that he realized that he was in love with Sebastian. That wasn't to say that he didn't know about his feelings before, he already knew that he loved his friend. No, this was a different type of realization, one that made him realize that no matter what may happen or how many mistakes or fights they might make or have, that he would always love Sebastian: through the good and even through the bad.

"What's up with your face?" Sebastian asked, snapping Blaine out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You have this weird look on your face."

"I do?" Blaine asked, suddenly self-conscious of how he looked and if Sebastian could even find him attractive in sweat pants and an old "Dalton Academy Physical Education" t-shirt.

"No, I'm just saying that because I like pointing out untrue facts," Sebastian said with an annoyed expression, "What's going on?"

"Nothing. This is my face. Leave me alone. I don't talk about your face."

"That's because it's perfect. They only thing you could say about my face is that it's incredibly handsome and belongs on billboards and in magazines," Sebastian said in a haughty tone, arching his eyebrow as if he belonged in the parlor room of some rich aristocrat.

Blaine did his best to recover and not come off as the lovesick puppy that he just realized that he was, "You're so modest, Bas. It's a wonder your head even fits in here."

"You'd be surprised what I can fit my head in," Sebastian responded with a wink.

"You're disgusting, Bas," Blaine replied with an amused shaking of his head.

"Only with you," Sebastian returned with an equally amused expression.

Blaine didn't know what came over him. Looking back years later, he still wouldn't be able to explain why he did it, but he reached out and gently brought his hand to Sebastian's cheek and began sliding his thumb across the smooth skin.

As soon as Sebastian's mind registered what was happening, he froze in his spot, eyes wide in shock. It took an extra second for Blaine to realize what he was doing and pull his hand back as if he was trying to avoid being bitten by an animal.

The two boys sat and stared at each other for what felt like hours. Neither knew what to say. Neither wanted to say anything. Neither knew how their newly rekindled friendship would fare in the wake of that moment.

"What the hell, Blaine?" Sebastian finally said, getting up from his spot on the couch.

"Sebastian, I'm sorry, I don't know why I—"

"Why you just did that? Who does that? Seriously, who does that!?" he was shouting, unaware of what he was doing or saying, running solely on a knee-jerk reaction.

"Bas, I just—"

"Seriously! That's…I mean…that's weird for a bunch of reasons Blaine, but…wha…who does that?!"

Blaine simply stared, his chest rising and falling vigorously. He was cursing himself. Why had he done it? Why had he reached out and done it? Who cups someone's cheek? It was inappropriate and exactly what he didn't want to do to Sebastian, but to top it all off, he had rubbed it as well!

That was weird.

That was creepy.

No more words were said. Blaine opened and closed his mouth numerous times, trying to think of something, anything, to say that might fix the situation, but always coming up short. He watched helplessly as Sebastian turned and walked out of the room. He heard the door slam a few seconds later. The loud noise served to wake him from his stupor and he immediately bolted from his spot on the couch to the door and opened it, just in time to see Sebastian climbing into his car and slamming that door as well. He wanted to yell, to beg Sebastian to stop, but what would he say? "Hey, sorry I caressed your face!" seemed like a stupid apology, not to mention completely awkward and not something he wanted his neighbors to hear him yelling (Lord knew his parents didn't need another reason to be embarrassed by their son). No, instead of stopping Sebastian, he just stood in his doorway and watched as the boy pulled out of his driveway and drove out of view.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian was fuming.

He wiped away the angry tears that were coming down his cheeks. He didn't know why he was crying. He wasn't a crier, but he couldn't help all the million different types of emotions that were swirling around in his head and heart. He was confused. He was angry. He was hopeful. He was insulted. He was torn and he was a multitude of other thoughts and feelings. Why had Blaine done that? Obviously, he hadn't done it on purpose; the look on his face was enough evidence to convince Sebastian.

But _why _did it have to happen? _Why _did Blaine have to go and do that?

He had been doing so well. He had convinced himself that nothing would ever come of their friendship. He had trained himself to become accustomed to the idea that he would simply be in love with his best friend and would have to sit back and watch him meet and fall in love with some other fucktard who wouldn't be as big of a romantic fuck-up as he was. But it seemed as though life had an even more torturous plan in store for Sebastian. Gone was his resolve to simply maintain a platonic friendship; gone was safety of his denial. Now he felt a small feeling of hope in his gut, as if the ref had added some more time on the clock, extending the game.

— **Glee —**

Sebastian brooded in his apartment, angrily throwing a pillow when he kept getting Nick's voicemail message. The afternoon passed and had quickly turned to night. Before he knew what he was doing, he had his keys in his hand and was walking to his car.

The drive to Blaine's house passed by in what seemed like seconds. Sebastian didn't even remember getting out of the car as he found himself repeatedly pressing the doorbell as if the fate of the world depended on his ability to not stop ringing it. He continued ringing it, not knowing that it was in fact past one in the morning and that Blaine was mostly likely asleep. He didn't know how long he stood there. He didn't know how many times his finger pushed on the button. He didn't even know when Blaine opened the door or register the confused look on the shorter boy's face: all he knew was that he was there, standing in front of the boy he loved.

"Why'd you do it?"

Blaine stared at him, dumbfounded, completely at a loss for words and not fully realizing what was happening.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you do it?"

Time seemed to stand still. The light mist of rain in the background died to a dull sound. The sounds of Blaine's neighborhood blurred into a staticky background track that was quickly forgotten, unimportant to Blaine's hearing. Without a conscious thought, Blaine felt his mouth open and listened to his voice speak.

"Because I wanted to."

That was all Sebastian needed to hear. In less than a second, he stepped into the room, took Blaine's face into his hands, and kissed him.

Sebastian Smythe kissed Blaine Anderson.

Blaine was taken aback by the action, tensing in the other boy's grip. It was as if he was experiencing the moment, but unable to process what was actually happening. He felt Sebastian's hands. He felt his lips. He felt the warmth from his body as the cool evening breeze blew through the open door, but he couldn't understand what it meant. He pulled back slightly, enough to free himself from Sebastian's hands and stared into the other boy's eyes. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he knew there had to be something. He felt silly just staring at Sebastian in that way, but there was a primal force at work as he looked into Sebastian's deep green eyes for some semblance of a hint, a reassurance, but only finding constellations stretched across an emerald galaxy.

"Are we really doing this?" Blaine found himself asking, breathing slightly heavier than usual as he was still recovering from their kiss.

"You tell me," Sebastian answered, not daring to break his eye contact, fearing what may happen if he did.

Blaine held Sebastian's gaze another second before turning his head slightly as he reached around Sebastian and pushed the door shut. Before either boy heard the slamming as the front door closed, they were kissing once again.

Blaine stumbled backwards slightly as Sebastian led them into the house. He was lost in the moment as he pressed his lips against Sebastian's. There was an urgency to the kiss, an unbridled passion and need behind the action that Blaine had never experienced before. It was as if his body craved Sebastian's touch, craved the sensations and shivers that his fingers were bringing him. Blaine barely noticed the furniture they were bumping into and frames that were falling askew in the wake of their passion.

Without even knowing how he got there, Blaine felt his back being pushed against something soft. He threw his head backwards in a low moan as Sebastian attacked his neck and the small patch of skin below his left ear that served to drive him crazy. In his moment of ecstasy, he vaguely registered the fabric from one of the sofas in his family room. His surroundings disappeared the moment he felt Sebastian's warm breath blowing ever so softly against his hear. He felt his skin raise as his entire body seemed to shudder. His hands desperately moved across Sebastian's body, pulling at the shirt that was annoyingly separating him from what his body was screaming for at that moment. The warmth of Sebastian's mouth on his neck disappeared for a moment, causing Blaine to frown and whimper slightly from the loss of attention.

He looked up and saw Sebastian kneeling above him, desire written across his features combined with a look of slight frustration.

"Blaine," he panted, his chest rising and falling with each breath, "I don't…I don't want to do this if—"

His speech was halted as he felt Blaine pull at the front of his shirt, forcing him to catch himself on his hands before crashing into the smaller boy beneath him.

"Bas," Blaine said, his voice dropping a few notes in the scale, "I love you."

The words brought Sebastian up short. He searched Blaine's eyes, afraid to let himself believe the words he was hearing. He found himself lost in the honey-colored pools, tracing the numerous specs there and memorizing every shade and hue that they held. He couldn't help the smile that formed itself on his lips.

That look. That look in Blaine's eyes. He loved that look.

He loved Blaine.

"I love you too," Sebastian breathed so quietly that it would have easily gone unheard had Blaine been a few more inches away.

Those words changed everything.

Gone was the urgency, the rush. His hormones or the fear that Sebastian might disappear at the stroke of midnight no longer motivated him. In that moment, Blaine knew that the morning would not bring heartache. He knew that the following moments would be something of worth, something substantial, something that wouldn't be relegated to a passing comment in a biography of his life. Within the span of the shortest of moments, he put aside the demands of his flesh and instead, let his heart take over.

Blaine's entire body sighed as he felt Sebastian gently lean forward and bring their lips together once again. He brought his hands up to the boy he loved and slowly began rubbing the strong back that was on top of him. He moaned and whimpered as his hands traced the muscles on Sebastian's back, gently dragging his nails across the exposed skin. He felt Sebastian's lips change their target, moving slowly, down his neck. He bit his lip, stopping himself from whispering gibberish or foolish promises that he wasn't even sure would come out coherently.

His mouth opened and his eyes closed as he breathed out a shaky breath when Sebastian's hand began tracing the uncovered skin at Blaine's waist. He dug his nails slightly into the smooth flesh as his body shook even more. He mouthed Sebastian's name in a broken whisper, an unfinished begging for the boy to continue. His pleas were answered when he felt Sebastian unbuckling the belt and pulling at his pants.

A moment passed in silence as Sebastian slowly lifted himself off the sofa. Blaine stared up at Sebastian, _his_ Sebastian, and smiled, undoing the rest of his pants and slowly pulling them off. He reached for the hem of his shirt and gracefully pulled it off, exposing himself almost completely.

Just as Sebastian began to similarly undress himself, Blaine stopped him, putting a hand on the shaky one that Sebastian had moved to his waist. Blaine smiled again at the surprised look on the standing boy's face.

"Let me," he whispered. He hesitated, waiting for permission, refusing to ruin this moment by rushing anything or pushing Sebastian into something that the other boy didn't want to do.

He breathed in relief when Sebastian gave him the slightest of nods and stood up. He began to kiss Sebastian again, running his fingers through the boy's hair and dragging them down his back. He felt Sebastian shudder beneath his touch and swore that a muffled "Blaine" had been hidden beneath their kisses. He pulled away slightly for a moment as he grabbed Sebastian's shirt. He smiled when Sebastian immediately lifted his arms without any prompting and slowly pulled the fabric up and off his body. When Sebastian let his arms drop, Blaine found himself staring unabashedly at the boy's exposed chest. He had always resisted his urge to look out of courtesy and maintain his sense of decency, but their current actions and situation seemed to dismiss any qualms he had about being indecent. His eyes traced the curves and lines of Sebastian's skin and the muscles beneath it. He tore his eyes away from their visual feast and once again locked eyes with Sebastian, only to blush slightly when he noticed the knowing smirk on the boy's face.

"Like what you see, Killer?" Sebastian asked, his smirk softening slightly. He let his own eyes roam Blaine's torso, taking in the light dusting of hair that coated his chest.

Blaine felt a renewed sense of courage when he felt Sebastian's eyes on him. He reached forward, his own hands shaking slightly, just as Sebastian's had. He brought his eyes back to Sebastian's and let his fingers find their way to the buckle of Sebastian's belt and begin their work on banishing the pants. He enjoyed the way Sebastian's eyes fluttered slightly when his knuckle brushed against the other's stomach. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sebastian's as he finished the rest of his job. He moaned into the embrace slightly as he lowered the zipper and reached inside Sebastian's underwear, lightly tickling the skin that was uncovered within. He felt more than heard Sebastian take in a deep breath and arch his back.

What seemed like mere seconds later, Blaine felt himself falling back onto the couch as Sebastian began to kiss a trail down his chest. He could feel his heart beat quickening, gaining speed with each passing kiss. He reached backwards and gripped the arm of the sofa and squeezed his eyes shut when he felt Sebastian's mouth on top of the thin piece of cotton fabric that separated his mouth and tongue from the area that Blaine desperately needed them to be.

Blaine's breath was caught in his throat and he couldn't help the low groan that escaped from his lips. He opened his eyes and looked down at Sebastian, who winked before reaching his fingers forward and pulling down on Blaine's waistband. Blaine automatically lifted his hips, allowing Sebastian to pull the offending garment completely off.

For the first time ever, Blaine lay before Sebastian, completely exposed. There were no clothes, no lies, no arguments, and no masks. Blaine felt himself start to curl into himself, drowning in his self-consciousness. He suddenly became aware of every single inch of his body. As his cheeks flushed in a deep red, he moved to cover himself, only to be stopped by a strong hand.

"No," Sebastian said, less of a command and more of a plea. "No, don't Blaine."

Blaine shamefully lifted his eyes and was confused by the look on Sebastian's face.

"You're amazing. Don't even think about…about hiding like that. You're incredible."

Blaine sucked in a deep breath as Sebastian returned to his stomach and renewed his kisses. Blaine felt his entire body shudder as he licked his lips and let his head drop back into the soft cushion below. His fingers found their way to the back of Sebastian's head and began massaging him, encouraging his mouth and its movements. He shifted uncomfortably after Sebastian teased him for some time, kissing almost every inch _but_ the spot where he knew Blaine wanted him. He squirmed underneath Sebastian, desperately wanting the boy to end his teasings.

Blaine was about to speak up when he felt it.

Warmth.

His mouth opened wide and his felt Sebastian's name escape his lips as he could feel Sebastian surrounding him, his tongue massaging every bit of skin. He gripped Sebastian's hair at the roots and subconsciously began squeezing, pulling, having forgotten how good it could feel. He began panting slightly, going back and forth between looking down at Sebastian and rolling his eyes backwards in pure ecstasy. He began to slowly rock his hips forwards, going deeper into Sebastian's mouth and loving the way that it felt as he slid in and out of those lips.

He began to lose his control, his movements quickening. His eyes opened in a devastated shock when he felt Sebastian's mouth disappear.

"Not yet," Sebastian growled as he stood up and pulled down the rest of his clothing, leaving himself as exposed as Blaine was.

After he stopped himself from memorizing every part of Sebastian's body, Blaine found himself frowning slightly, jealous of Sebastian's confidence and ability to stand there, fully naked, and without even the slightly sign of discomfort.

"What?" Sebastian asked, having noticed the frown on Blaine's face. His entire stance seemed to change and the confidence that Blaine had admired was suddenly replaced with a projection of inadequacy.

"No," Blaine said quickly, realizing what Sebastian was thinking, "No…I…no."

It was as if Blaine's thoughts were suddenly shared, because Sebastian nodded his head with a look of understanding. He smiled, reassuringly and lowered himself back onto the sofa and onto Blaine.

The rest of the night passed, leaving Blaine in a state of pure bliss and ecstasy. While sex with Kurt had always been nice, it was nothing compared to being with Sebastian. With every movement or touch, Blaine's body vibrated with pleasure and desire. He was brought in and out of awareness, at times unable to concentrate on his surroundings and instead becoming lost in the sensations. He loved the feeling of having Sebastian so close, skin-to-skin, inside of him. He had never experienced that level of intimacy before, not even with Kurt. It was as if having Sebastian pressed up against him was the most natural thing in the world. He loved how right it felt, how at home he felt.

Sebastian bit down on Blaine's shoulder as he continued his movements, doing his best to keep them calm and steady, afraid that he might lose control and hurt the boy that was in his arms. He was desperately holding onto his consciousness, unwilling to let himself lose focus and let himself go. It was a new experience, a new version of sex that he wasn't used to. Usually, Sebastian could care less about the random stranger who he was with and did only what would please him, but with Blaine it was different: every moment, every touch, and every kiss was intentional and made with the purpose of pleasing Blaine, of driving him to the edge of sanity and back. It was new, but it was also satisfying in a way that Sebastian never knew existed. He loved the look on Blaine's face every time he hit Blaine's spot, the place that made the smaller boy groan and curl his toes even tighter, throwing his head back and side to side. He loved the sounds that Blaine made with every thrust. It drove him crazy the way that Blaine was so unhinged and practically flailing around beneath him. He felt himself losing control with every grunt and every moan that escaped from Blaine's lips. He loved _that_ Blaine. He loved the Blaine that didn't feel the need to pull himself together so carefully. He loved the Blaine that trusted him enough to relinquish control, to sign over himself fully to Sebastian, and Sebastian wanted to repay him for that trust. It was with every new thrust that Sebastian tried to prove his worth and his ability to be all that Blaine wanted and needed. He soon lost himself in the rhythm of his actions. Sebastian let his eyes roll into the back of his head as he felt Blaine grip onto him tightly, send new waves of insanity through him.

Blaine felt the beads of sweat falling from his brow as he cried out Sebastian's name, cried out declarations of love, cried out for more, cried out incoherent pleas and demands. He body screamed for more and his mouth was only too willing to aid in the endeavor. When his release finally came, he felt every single muscle in his entire body clench and tense as Sebastian sent him over the edge in the most amazing orgasm he had ever experienced in his entire life. His entire body burned in a sensation that he had never had, never experienced. He was drunk on ecstasy and it was a feeling that he never wanted to end. His mind shut off, completely overwhelmed by what he was experiencing, how his body seemed incapable of holding in so much pleasure, and he just existed, a slave to the sensations. His eyes shut on their own and he heard his voice wrap itself around Sebastian's as they both called out for one another. His entire body was on fire in that moment, consuming every part of him and leaving nothing behind without first filling it was the most incredible feeling he had ever felt. It was as if time stopped and he was able to feel that euphoric moment and ride every bit of pleasure, wave upon wave of it, which flowed through him.

After it subsided, Blaine laid where he was, breathing heavily, feeling his chest rise and fall raggedly. He tried to lift his arms up from their spots at his side, but found himself unable to move them, completely exhausted and spent. Every area of skin on his body seemed to be overly sensitive in a way that made him shiver every time he felt Sebastian's breath on him. They stayed there, curled and pressed together, wrapped in each other's arms after Blaine was finally able to regain control of himself, and unwilling to let go, to leave the little world that they had created where no one and nothing else existed. Time passed and neither moved from their spot.

The night continued outside the windows, unaware of the reunion inside, unaware of what had just transpired. It didn't know of the arms that refused to leave their place of ownership, their place of belonging.

Sebastian smiled as he burrowed his face into the crook of Blaine's neck and inhaled the scent, the scent that he had grown so accustomed to, the scent that was mixed with his own. He placed a gentle kiss on the skin there and sighed, his smile somehow evident in the sound. He felt safe. He felt like he was home. He was comforted by the arms around him and the heat from Blaine's body beneath him. It was a moment that would be ingrained in his memory until his last day of life, and even then in those final moments, with Blaine holding him on the hospital bed, he would think back to their first night together and remember the peace that he felt in the smaller boy's arms.

"I love you, Blaine."

"I love you, Bas."

— **The End —**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So that's it! This is officially the last author's note I will ever write for this story. I'm kinda bummed, I'm not gonna lie. So I hope you all liked the epilogue. It definitely borders on the cliché, but it seemed like people were more interested in a happy ending, so I figured I would be forgiven for a formulaic ending if it promised a happy, formulaic ending. My original draft featured a shift in narrative and had Blaine and Sebastian serving as narrators and telling the story of how they fell in love to their two grandchildren. It was a bit along the lines of **_**How I Met Your Mother, **_**but it ended up being way to different in tone and feeling than the rest of the story, so I ended up cutting it. I personally thought it was pretty amusing, but eh, it just didn't fit. If you'd like me to send you the cut sections and get a peek into the guys' future, just let me know in a review and I'll be sure to PM it to you!**

**Speaking of reviews, a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to review, follow, or favorite this. Even in the second to last update, I had people following and favoriting which is awesome! I'd like to thank SoVeryEasilyAmused, AverySummers, Kaylacriss332 (I wonder who your favorite character is…lol), Natasha Dalton, inseaofsound, KCPotter, strayingoceans (awesome name), fiction-is-my-addiction (lol clever), iLoveGG (what does GG stand for here?), RHatch89, ournoisyhearts, ClaiClai, RoseCriss, Guest (dude…you were PISSED…lol), madmaxborg, OMGAKAWTF, Aquaria245, brittana5, Chewi.x, Jessie05.12, alexanderfan, Scuba Otter, TheFauxMe, StarkidSherlockSlytherin, Kay (you were happy!), openmymindcomeinside (GASAH), Klainers34, Loki Firefox, aaaaand last but certainly not least, TVTime. I promise to answer every review sometime this week, I just wanted to concentrate on getting this out sooner than later, and I figured you'd rather have an epilogue instead of a review response. :) **

**Lastly, I just wanted to throw a heads up out there. So my next project was put on hold because pretty rockin TheFauxMe requested to co-author a story with me and, clearly, I jumped at the chance. We're planning another Seblaine fic, so keep an eye out for that. I think you can follow me as an author (…right? I'm not really sure how that works?) and you'll get an email notification when that chapter pops up. We've brainstormed a few things already and I'm pretty stoked about what we'll poop out with that one. **

**And lastly, I have no shame anymore since this is the end, PLEASE take a second and leave a review on your thoughts. It's the last one. Come on! I know a bunch of you have been ghosting your way through this thing, lol. Show a guy some love! :)**

**Thanks again to everyone and I'll (hopefully) see you all soon in the new fic!**


End file.
